Woman pleads not guilty after hitting 10-year-old at school bus stop in Scott County, Ky.

Ashley Parsons, 39, pleaded not guilty after allegedly striking a child at a bus stop while driving under the influence. Her bond remains at $50,000.

Georgetown woman enters not-guilty plea after child struck at school bus stop

Ashley Parsons, 39, of Georgetown, Kentucky, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to charges including first-degree assault and drunk driving, fox56news.com reports. A judge set her next court date for a preliminary hearing on September 1, and her bond was kept at $50,000. Parsons will also receive a court-appointed attorney.

The incident occurred on August 20 at the intersection of Bunker Hill Drive and Mt. Vernon Drive in Scott County. Officers were dispatched after reports of an injury collision involving a child near a school bus stop. The vehicle had already left the scene by the time police arrived.

According to the arrest citation, the vehicle failed to stop at a school bus stop sign and struck a 10-year-old girl who was crossing the street to board the bus. Witnesses told officers the child was hit with such force that her shoes were knocked off, and she was thrown from the front of the bus, landing near the rear tires. The girl was still receiving treatment for her injuries at the time of reporting.

While investigating, officers learned of a possibly suicidal woman driving a vehicle matching the description of the one involved. The vehicle was located on Dorchester Drive. Parsons was found inside a nearby residence and, according to the arrest citation, admitted to an officer that she had been driving while intoxicated and that she had been in the area at the time of the collision. She reportedly could not recall what she had been doing.

The vehicle on Dorchester Drive had visibly fresh damage to its front end. Parsons' father, the registered owner of the car, confirmed the damage was new.

During a subsequent interview at the Georgetown Police Department, Parsons told investigators she remembered seeing the stopped school bus but did not recall seeing a stop sign or hitting a child, the arrest citation states.

Parsons faces charges of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, first-degree assault, reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident with failure to render aid, and passing a loading or unloading school bus. She had been scheduled for arraignment at 1 p.m. on August 25 in Scott County District Court.

Source: Google News GY — Georgetown