ROCKLAND – A Camden man pleaded guilty July 27 to multiple charges for leaving the hospital with his infant child, who had not been medically evaluated after an accident, and yelling in the Emergency Room after he was escorted back by the police.

Benjamin Rankin, 26, of Camden, pleaded guilty in Knox County Unified Court to endangering the welfare of a child, disorderly conduct and violation of probation. He was sentenced to 90 days in jail.

Rankin was another adult passenger in the vehicle and he attempted to leave the scene of the accident with the youngest child with the intention of taking the child to the hospital even thought he was told ambulance would arrive shortly, according to police reports.

Once at the Emergency Room, police said Rankin left with the baby and was found by Rockport Police across the street, hiding behind a dumpster at the gas station. Rankin was later arrested for disorderly conduct when he began yelling after he was escorted back to the hospital, according to the police report.

Amanda Rankin, 27, of Camden, was driving the vehicle and was released on $750 bail after she was charged by Rockport Police with criminal operating under the influence, three counts of endangering the welfare of a child and driving to endanger. One of the passengers in the vehicle was a six-month-old baby.

She will make her next court appearance Aug. 24, according to court documents.

The crash occurred June 11 on Route 1 at approximately 8 p.m. and according to Rockport Police, witnesses reported that the Jeep veered off the road, went over a guard rail and rolled over several times down a steep embankment and came to a stop along a stand of trees. Previous to the crash, a witness called dispatch to report a vehicle travelling southbound on Route 1 that was operating erratically. Rockport Officer Cooper Plaisted arrived at the scene after the vehicle had crashed. Before the vehicle could be stopped, the Jeep hit a guardrail and veered diagonally across Route 1.

When police asked Amanda Rankin if she remembered how the crash happened, she stated that she only remembered waking up in the hospital. Approximately five hours before the accident, she admitted telling her husband that she was feeling dizzy. Rankin told police she did not drink and was only taking her prescribed medications, according to court documents.

Her urine test after the crash confirmed that she had drugs in her system, including a depressant which supported the observations of police at the crash scene that she appeared impaired, according to court documents.

Related story: Route 1 Rockport crash sends family of five to hospital; father arrested

Sarah Shepherd can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com