Oakland man charged with crashing car into man on wheelchair, leaving victim for dead

OAKLAND A suspect has been arrested and charged for allegedly crashing hit car into a man on a motorized wheelchair then running away as the victim lay dying James Smith has been charged with vehicular manslaughter leaving the scene of a crash and having nine prior felonies since Prosecutors say he has priors for robbery and shooting which would make this Smith s third strike if he s convicted On the morning of May Smith allegedly crashed his Mazda into Elmo Ballard Jr near th Street San Pablo Avenue pinning Ballard and his wheelchair underneath the car Then Smith ran from the area stripping off his baseball cap and jacket as he fled functionaries stated Ballard was pronounced dead at a hospital that day officials announced Surveillance cameras captured Smith running from the crash site to his home on Martin Luther King Way executives allege The Mazda was also registered to Smith who was arrested on May and charged on June court records show Smith was also arrested on suspicion of drug possession according to jail records His bail has been set at and he is next due in court on June with a preliminary hearing to follow a week later He has pleaded not guilty