Woman claims man beat her as she drove Sunday night

YOUNGSTOWN — Reports said a man was arrested after arguing Sunday with a woman over a power outage, beating her while she was driving and causing the car they were in to crash into a snowbank.

James Hayes, 58, of Forest Avenue, is expected to be arraigned later today in municipal court on a charge of assault.

Police were called about 6:25 p.m. Sunday to the 1400 block of East Midlothian Boulevard, where reports said a car was in a snowbank and the woman driver told them she argued with Hayes about a power outage on the East Side as they drove to dinner.

The woman told police Hayes grabbed her by the back of her hair, slammed her head into the steering wheel and tried to turn the car off while it was in gear before it crashed into the snowbank.

A bystander came to help and Hayes fled, reports said.

Hayes was found on Shirley Road and told police he was assaulted. He was arrested because the victim had marks on her neck and cuts on her throat, reports said.