Woman charged with child abuse, 4th DWI in Farmington hit-and-run crash

July 22--FARMINGTON -- A 35-year-old woman was accused last week of drunkenly causing a car crash near downtown Farmington and then fleeing the scene.

Vanida Buck was charged July 14 in Farmington Magistrate Court with drunken driving (fourth offense), child abuse (second offense), failing to obey a traffic signal, leaving the scene of an accident involving damage to a vehicle, improper display of registration plate and driving without insurance.

Buck's court-appointed attorney, Stephen Wayne, did not respond to a request for comment.

Buck is expected to appear today at Farmington Magistrate Court for a preliminary examination hearing.

Farmington patrol officers were dispatched at approximately 6:30 p.m. July 13 to the intersection of North Butler Avenue and East Apache Street after receiving reports of a hit-and-run crash, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

Cornelia and Fred Eaton told officers they were traveling north on Butler Avenue in a 2015 Ford Explorer when they struck a white van on Apache Street that blew through a red light.

They said the van appeared to almost flip, but continued heading east on Apache Street as it left the scene, the affidavit states.

The Eatons, uninjured in the crash, contacted police a half hour later after spotting the suspect vehicle parked outside a trailer at the Thunderbird Trailer Park at 818 E. Main St., according to the affidavit.

Buck's cousin, Sylvia Bowman, was outside the residence.

Bowman, 33, told police that her cousin owned the vehicle and took police inside her trailer, where they found Buck eating noodles and watching television with her two children, the affidavit states.

Buck had bloodshot eyes and smelled like liquor, the affidavit states, and failed a field sobriety test.

Buck's children, ages 11 and 8, told officers they were coming home from the park earlier in the evening when their vehicle was struck at the intersection of Butler Avenue and Apache Street.

The children said they were sitting on a cooler in the van when the crash occurred, the affidavit states.

Buck refused to provide a breath test and a blood draw was performed at San Juan Regional Medical Center, the affidavit states.

Buck told police at the hospital she took two pain pills and drank three shots of whiskey while at the park with her kids and did not remember the crash or being arrested, according to the affidavit.

According to court records, Buck is being held at San Juan County Adult Detention Center without bond.

San Juan County Chief Deputy District Attorney Dustin O'Brien said it was not typical for an individual to be held without bond on a felony drunken driving case, but the seriousness of the allegations could explain the magistrate judge's decision.

"A hit-and-run with children is certainly a situation where a judge would set a high bond," he said.

Steve Garrison covers crime and courts for The Daily Times. He can be reached at 505-564-4644 and stgarrison@daily-times.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveGarrisonDT on Twitter.

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