Motoryclist killed in crash as officer tries to make traffic stop

— A motorcyclist was killed Monday morning when he crashed into another vehicle just as a Jacksonville Police Department officer was attempting to pull him over, authorities said.

Bryan W. Owens, 28, of Ward, Ark., was pronounced dead at North Metro Medical Center less than an hour after the 8:20 a.m. wreck.

Jacksonville Police Department Capt. Kenny Boyd said Owens weaved into the eastbound lane while illegally passing a vehicle on westbound Madden Road near Jacksonville High School.

An officer who was traveling east saw the pass, activated her patrol vehicle emergency lights and turned around in an attempt to make a traffic stop, Boyd said. But before she had completely turned, Owens attempted to pass another vehicle and crashed into it when it turned left, police said.

Boyd said it's unclear if Owens saw the police officer or if he might have been trying to speed up to get away.

"We don't have any idea what his intentions were," Boyd said, adding authorities have not yet determined how fast Owens was traveling. "We are still looking into that but it appears (to have been a high rate of speed)."

Owens' body was sent to the state medical examiner's office since it was an officer-involved incident, Pulaski County Coroner Garland Camper said.

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