'General Hospital' star's son allegedly kills pedestrian before telling cops he hit 'something'
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA: Jack Sabato, the 32-year-old son of former 'General Hospital' actor Antonio Sabato Jr and Oscar-nominated actress Virginia Madsen, is facing criminal charges in Alaska after a fatal road collision.
Prosecutors allege that Jack Sabato struck 42-year-old Carl Simmonds with his vehicle after a DoorDash shift in the early hours of Monday, November 9, then continued driving without checking on the pedestrian.
His alleged explanation to investigators came hours later, when he claimed he had hit something that appeared unexpectedly in front of his SUV.
🔥 HOLLYWOOD ACTORS' SON CLAIMED HE HIT AN ANIMAL — BUT POLICE SAY HE ONLY CALLED AFTER HIS SUV WAS SEIZED The 32-year-old son of actors Antonio Sabàto Jr. and Virginia Madsen has been arrested following a deadly hit-and-run in Anchorage, Alaska. According to charging documents, Jack Sabàto was driving a white Chevrolet Tahoe around 5:35 a.m. Monday, November 9, when he allegedly struck 42-year-old pedestrian Carl Simmonds. Surveillance footage reportedly showed the SUV hitting Carl Simmonds without braking before or after the collision. Simmonds was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators traced the Tahoe to Sabàto and located it at an Amazon warehouse around 12:45 p.m. Police say the vehicle had fresh front-end damage consistent with hitting a pedestrian. Here’s where the timeline gets interesting. At approximately 2:46 p.m., AFTER police had located and seized his vehicle, Sabàto contacted investigators. He claimed he thought he’d struck an animal while returning home from making DoorDash deliveries. According to court documents, Sabàto admitted he knew he’d hit “something” but didn’t stop because he was scared and didn’t have car insurance. Investigators say his girlfriend had informed him that police had seized his SUV before he made the call. Sabàto appeared in court Tuesday, where his bail was set at $5,000. The judge also prohibited him from driving. His father, Antonio Sabàto Jr., has released a statement saying the family is processing the devastating news and requesting privacy. Jack faces charges of leaving the scene of an accident involving injury or death and failing to assist an injured person. He has not been charged with murder.
— Unmasked True Crime (@crimeunmasked) November 11, 2026
SUV damage leads police to suspect
The collision was reported near Anchorage at approximately 5.35 am.
Simmonds was discovered on the roadway around 15 minutes later, but emergency responders could not save him and pronounced him dead at the scene.
Police began piecing together what had happened by reviewing surveillance recordings from the area.
The footage helped investigators identify the vehicle involved and trace its registration to an address associated with Sabato.
When officers visited the address, a neighbor reportedly informed them that Sabato was at work.
Investigators subsequently tracked down a white Chevrolet Tahoe at his workplace at around 12.45 pm.
The vehicle had visible damage to its front-right section.
According to investigators, the condition of the SUV was consistent with it having struck a pedestrian. Officers obtained a search warrant before taking possession of the vehicle.
Driver says he thought he hit an animal
The investigation took another turn when Sabato contacted authorities approximately two hours after officers found his SUV.
Rather than initially reporting a collision involving a person, he allegedly said he wanted to report hitting an animal.
Sabato reportedly explained that he had been driving home after completing food deliveries when something unexpectedly came into his path.
He claimed his headlights went out and that he realized he had collided with an object.
Charging documents state that Jack acknowledged continuing his journey instead of stopping to investigate what he had hit.
He allegedly told officers he had not stopped because he did not have insurance. Authorities subsequently arrested Jack.
Jack was brought before a judge at the Anchorage Jail Courtroom on Tuesday afternoon. The court set his bail at $5,000 and prohibited him from driving.
Antonio Sabato Jr breaks silence
Following his son's arrest, Antonio Sabato Jr addressed the situation through a statement shared on Instagram.
The actor described it as an extremely sensitive and personal family matter and requested privacy as they dealt with the situation.
Antonio also spoke about his relationship with his children, emphasizing that his love for them was unconditional.
He said his family's well-being remained his priority while extending condolences to Simmonds' relatives and loved ones.
Antonio Sabato Jr rose to prominence as a model before moving into acting. He appeared in the long-running television soap opera 'General Hospital', among other projects.
Jack's mother, Virginia Madsen, is an Academy Award-nominated actress. She received a nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Maya in the 2004 film 'Sideways'.
