Arkansas Woman Accused of Running Over Husband
An Arkansas woman has been arrested after allegedly backing her vehicle over her estranged husband during a heated argument, leaving him in critical condition.
Authorities say 33-year-old Dara M. Masterson was taken into custody over the weekend and charged with second-degree reckless battery and driving while intoxicated. The incident unfolded Sunday evening in Lavaca, about 150 miles northwest of Little Rock.
The Incident
Deputies with the Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call at around 7:30 p.m. on the 9600 block of White Lane. When they arrived, emergency responders were already treating the victim, identified as 34-year-old Clayton Masterson. He was later airlifted to a Little Rock hospital and initially listed in critical condition.
Investigators said Dara Masterson told deputies she had gone to the home to collect belongings following the couple’s separation. She admitted that an argument broke out, and as she attempted to leave, she reversed her vehicle, striking her husband.
“She felt threatened, backed up her vehicle, and ran over her husband,” the sheriff’s office reported.
The 911 Call
Audio of Dara Masterson’s frantic 911 call was obtained by local station KNWA. During the seven-minute call, she can be heard repeatedly screaming and pleading for help.
“My husband was mad at me,” she told the dispatcher. “He told me to leave and I backed up and he was on the car and he’s hurt.”
At one point she cried out, “I don’t know if he’s alive!” She also shouted her husband’s name several times and insisted she had not meant to run him over.
When asked whether she had driven all the way over him, she shouted back: “I don’t know!”
She told the dispatcher he was bleeding from the mouth and nose and appeared to be breathing, but she was unsure “how normally.”
Investigation and Charges
Clayton Masterson’s father was reportedly present at the scene during the incident. Deputies later placed Dara Masterson under arrest after investigators from the Criminal Investigation Division reviewed the circumstances.
Authorities confirmed Clayton’s condition has since improved from critical to stable.
Dara Masterson is being held at the Sebastian County Adult Detention Center on $10,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court Monday.
