A local man has been charged with aggravated assault in connection with one of several accidents Friday on Highway 51 North in Brookhaven.

Police Chief Bobby Bell said Joshua M. Banks, 36, of Forest Trail, also is charged with reckless driving, no proof of insurance and leaving the scene of an accident.

Joshua Banks

Banks was in jail Thursday morning, pending setting of bond later in the day.

The aggravated assault charge stems from the first accident, which was on Highway 51 North near Union Street late Friday afternoon. Banks was traveling south in a black Dodge Charger that struck a red Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck twice, said Bell. The red truck was driven by Charles Carter of Brookhaven.

The two vehicles’ bumpers stuck together, with Banks continuing to travel south with the vehicles entangled, according to Bell. The driver of the pickup told police he had to make a sharp left turn onto Union Church Street to break the connection, and Banks continued on south on Highway 51.

Farther south on Highway 51, the Charger, traveling at a high rate of speed, according to Bell, clipped another truck, this one a white GMC pickup, flipping it around 6 p.m. The GMC pickup was driven by Crystal Bowman of Jackson Liberty Drive, Bell said.

After hitting Bowman’s pickup, the Charger then struck a white BMW driven by Donald Case of Brookhaven, Bell said. Both Case and Bowman were traveling south on Highway 51.

The second and third accidents occurred close to O’Reilly Auto Parts at 112 Highway 51 N. The Charger then continued, winding up the Car City parking lot at 112 Highway 51 N. where it struck several parked cars, Bell said.

The chief said Banks went to the hospital on his own and did not ride in an ambulance. He was later released around 10 p.m. Friday, Bell said.

Bowman was taken from the scene in an ambulance, Bell confirmed Thursday morning. Her mother-in-law, Mary Bowman, told The Daily Leader Monday afternoon that Crystal and her husband Michael Bowman (Mary Bowman’s son), who was a passenger in the GMC pickup, were treated and released from the hospital in McComb.

Bell said Case and Carter were not injured.

Investigating the convoluted series of accidents has taken police several days.

“It was a long accident and it took a long time to get the report together,” Bell said Thursday morning. “We’re still checking things out.”