LITTLE ROCK — A motorcyclist was killed Monday morning when he crashed into another vehicle on Madden Road in Jacksonville just as a police officer was preparing to pull him over, authorities said.
Bryan W. Owens, 28, of Ward was pronounced dead at North Metro Medical Center in Jacksonville less than an hour after the 8:20 a.m. accident.
Capt. Kenny Boyd said Owens entered the eastbound lane of Madden Road while illegally passing a vehicle in the westbound lane near Jacksonville High School.
An officer who was traveling east saw the illegal move and turned around in an attempt to make a traffic stop,Boyd said. But before she had completely turned, Owens attempted to pass yet another vehicle and crashed into it when it turned left, police said.
Boyd said it is unclear whether Owens saw the police officer and was trying to speed up to get away.
“We don’t have any idea what his intentions were,” Boyd said, adding that 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 in Little Rock, since it was an officer-involved incident, Pulaski County Coroner Garland Camper said.
Arkansas, Pages 14 on 06/22/2010