Jack Sabàto, the son of soap opera star Antonio Sabàto Jr. and Oscar-nominated actress Virginia Madsen, has been arrested in connection with a fatal hit-and-run in Alaska, police said. Authorities allege he was delivering food at the time of the crash.
Sabàto, 32, was reportedly driving a white Chevrolet Tahoe when he struck and killed Carl Simmonds near an Anchorage intersection at about 5:35 a.m. Monday, according to charging documents obtained by KTUU.
Police say he left the scene before later calling authorities to report that he had hit “something” that had “suddenly appeared in the road” while he was “doing late-night DoorDashing,” according to the documents.
Sabàto, who appeared in court wearing glasses and with extensive tattoos, was charged with leaving the scene of an accident without assisting an injured person and leaving the scene of an accident that resulted in injury or death.
He is the son of Antonio Sabàto Jr., a model and former “General Hospital” actor, and Virginia Madsen, who earned an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress for her performance in the 2004 film “Sideways.”
Madsen’s brother was the late actor Michael Madsen, known for his roles in Quentin Tarantino’s “Reservoir Dogs,” “The Hateful Eight” and “Kill Bill.”
“We all just found out the terrible news and our family is digesting this horrible news and asking for privacy in this devastating news. Thank you,” Sabàto Jr. told TMZ.
Officials found Simmonds’ body in the roadway about 15 minutes after the collision and pronounced him dead at the scene.
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Investigators obtained surveillance video of the crash and traced the vehicle’s registration to Sabàto’s home address. A neighbor told police that Sabàto was at work.
Police later found the Tahoe parked at Sabàto’s workplace at approximately 12:45 p.m. The SUV had “fresh damage to the right front corner that was consistent with a pedestrian strike,” according to the charging document. Investigators obtained a warrant and seized the vehicle.
About two hours later, Sabàto called police and said he had struck an animal with the SUV and wanted to speak with officers, the documents state.
He told investigators he had been driving home after “doing late night DoorDashing” when “something” suddenly appeared in the road. He also said the vehicle’s headlights went out.
Sabàto said he realized he had hit “something” but did not stop to investigate because he lacked insurance. He told police he decided to call because he “knew the worst,” according to the charging documents.
Sabàto was arrested and faces charges of leaving the scene of an accident without assisting an injured person and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in injury or death.
Sabàto was arraigned Tuesday afternoon at the Anchorage Jail Courtroom, where a judge set bail at $5,000, KTUU reported.
The judge also issued a no-driving order and warned that Sabàto could face an additional $5,000 penalty if he fails to appear at future court hearings.