Dad arrested on child abuse charges after 4th DUI (Hamilton County, Tennessee)

Notice that daddy WILLIE WITCHER has a long criminal history that goes along with his fondness for the sauce. No mention of where the mother was.

INVISIBLE MOTHER ALERT

http://www.newschannel9.com/news/top-stories/stories/vid_789.shtml

4th DUI Charge Equals Child Abuse Arrest
By Jerry Askin

A father, with three kids in the car, slams into the back of another vehicle -- then takes off on foot.

Red Bank Police say Willie Witcher was drunk, and left his three children -- one injured -- in the car, while he hid behind a nearby gas station. It happened Sunday evening.

"He shouldn't have been on the road anyway, but especially with children in the car," says Anna Scire.

Anna Scire took us back to Sunday evening. Willie Witcher, the man police say was driving drunk, ran into the back of her white SUV. It happened on the Morrison Springs Road exit, off Highway 27.

"He was trying to push by because he was trying to leave - so he got pushed through our car and made it out to the Intersection where his car wouldn't run anymore," says Scire.

Scire says moments after the accident, she saw the driver, Willie Witcher, get out of his car and run to a nearby gas station - leaving his three kids unattended in the car.

"I was surprised that he left them there because it's in the middle of a fairly busy intersection, the car was completely out in the middle," says Scire.

Luckily, Scire and her daughter survived the accident - as did Witcher's three kids. But, his 15-year old daughter had to be taken to the hospital for her injuries.

Police found Witcher at the gas station and arrested him on a laundry list of charges including DUI, aggravated assault, child endangerment, child abuse and neglect, and driving on a suspended license.

"It's his fourth offense for DUI, also he has a revoked driver's license - and this is his 7th charge for driving on a revoked drivers license," says Sgt. Dan Knight from the Red Bank Police Department.

Witcher's criminal history in Hamilton County dates back to 1998. It's full of charges like aggravated robbery, reckless driving, and driving while impaired, to name just a few.

"Shame on you for not taking care of the children that you are responsible for in the car and for taking a complete lack of concern for everyone else on the road," says Scire.

Willie Witcher remains in the Hamilton County Jail on no bond. His daughter who was injured in the accident is said to be okay tonight.