Teen charged in car-pedestrian incident released

CLOVIS — The 18-year old arrested Friday in a car-pedestrian incident was released from jail Monday evening on personal recognizance, while the victim remained in a Lubbock hospital Tuesday, lamenting dashed hopes of a football career.

Police charged John Smart with aggravated battery, a third-degree felony, following an altercation that started with a quarrel over a stolen watch and ended with Smart hitting 19-year old Dante Dowdy with his car, according to a criminal complaint.

Smart told police he woke up Friday, realized his watch was stolen and drove to a residence on the 600 block of Sunland Drive to confront the person he believed responsible, parking there behind a car belonging to Dowdy, who was also on scene.

There then began a "physical fight" pitting Dowdy and the resident against Smart. That's what Smart said in an interview with Clovis Police Capt. Roman Romero, stating "he was hit by each of the people and one of his car windows was broken out by them," records show.

Smart then retrieved a bat from his car and began swinging it, because "it was two against me," he told Romero.

The pair backed off, and as Smart began to drive away Dowdy walked in front of the car and was hit, Smart said.

"Smart stated he didn't intentionally hit Dowdy with the car," Romero wrote. "Smart recalled looking in his rearview mirror he watched Dowdy stand up, and Smart said he drove home, because he was so angry."

Dowdy spoke to The News on Tuesday from his room at Lubbock's Covenant Hospital, where he said he is being treated for broken ribs and bleeding in his head, among other injuries. He said he doesn't remember much about the incident, but he told police he "stood toward the edge of his car, believing Smart was going to hit the car," records show.

A witness told police Friday he saw Dowdy "sandwiched in between" two vehicles and said he believed the collision was deliberate, noting "there was enough room in the roadway to avoid hitting anyone," records show.

Dowdy told The News he was "not doing good at all" and said he wouldn't be able to do much now with a potentially lucrative two-year contract he signed earlier this month with an amateur football association.

"My family is really heartbroken right now. I was supposed to go to Arlington on Saturday and was supposed to play at Dallas Cowboys Stadium (for talent scouts)," he said Tuesday. "Make sure you let the whole world know that my whole life is ruined right now, because (Smart) wanted to take his anger out on somebody else and he ruined somebody else's career."

Dowdy said he expects an eight-month recovery including several more medical tests, noting staff "don't want me to leave the hospital for a while."

Smart stayed the weekend in jail and was released Monday night on personal recognizance, meaning he could face additional charges if he fails to make his next court date, scheduled as a preliminary examination Feb. 1.

Court records show Smart was not yet assigned a public defender, and attempts to reach him and his family Tuesday evening were unsuccessful. A comment on the Clovis police Facebook page from Lyssa Smart reads in part:

"Our son never intentionally tried to hurt anyone," she wrote. "This is a difficult time for all the families involved and we are truly sorry that anybody was injured."