Success man charged in connection with September crash

A man who crashed into a vehicle full of children has been charged with multiple counts of assault in Texas County. According to the Highway Patrol, the crash happened on September 15th, when a pickup driven by Rowland John Pearson of Success was on the wrong side of the road in a curve on Highway 17, when he collided with a vehicle that was occupied by 31 year old Heather Danielle Copely and her 5 children. Copely and two of the children were seriously injured, and 3 other children were injured as well. According to the Patrol report, Pearson was traveling nearly 30 miles per hour over the speed limit just before the crash. 63 year old Rowland John Pearson has been charged with 3 counts of felony assault in the second degree and 3 counts of misdemeanor assault in the 4th degree. A warrant was issued for his arrest on Wednesday, and his bond was set at $350-thousand-dollars.