BENTONVILLE -- Johnnie Bryan Hunt Jr. denies he intentionally struck the vehicle of another motorist in June, according to a lawsuit filed Monday.
The lawsuit was filed in Benton County Circuit Court by Hunt's attorney, Ken Shemin, against Omar Salinas-Hurtado.
Hunt case
Johnnie Bryan Hunt Jr. is charged with aggravated assault, a Class D felony. The criminal case is assigned to Circuit Judge Robin Green while the lawsuit is assigned to Circuit Judge Brad Karren.
Source: Staff report
Hunt, 57, of Springdale is the son of the late J.B. Hunt Sr., who founded J.B. Hunt Transport Services in Lowell. He is a member of the company's board, according to its proxy statement.
Hunt is charged with aggravated assault, a Class D felony, and previously pleaded not guilty. He is accused of striking Salinas-Hurtado's vehicle twice with his Cadillac Escalade in June.
Shemin declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Roxanne Blake, attorney for Salinas-Hurtado, said she is saddened an "influential and powerful individual" like Hunt would file a lawsuit against her client.
Rogers police conducted an investigation involving nearly a dozen police officers and investigators that showed Hunt intentionally crashed his vehicle into Salinas-Hurtado's truck and then pulled the man from his vehicle, held him to the ground and repeatedly punched him, Blake said.
"Now, instead of taking responsibility for his actions, he has chosen to attempt to use his name, power, and influence not only to hinder and delay justice in the felony criminal case pending against him, but also to force Mr. Salinas, an ordinary working man, to hire a law firm to defend him and seek the justice he deserves," Blake said.
The incident occurred June 3. Rogers police received a call at 7:33 a.m. about a vehicle collision. One of the vehicles had left the scene, according to court documents. A dispatcher later informed officers that the two vehicles -- a Cadillac Escalade and black pickup -- were stopped at an intersection, according to court documents.
Salinas-Hurtado, 21, of Rogers told police he was driving the black pickup. He turned onto North Eighth Street and into the path of the Escalade. Salinas-Hurtado said he felt an impact, but he did not stop, and the Escalade began to follow him as he drove. Salinas-Hurtado said he was making turn on Walnut Street when he saw the Escalade turn and collide with the driver's side of his vehicle, according to court documents.
Hunt stated in a police report that a pickup hit his Escalade and then left the scene. He followed it to Walnut Street and, when he tried to get the license plate number, the driver of the pickup drove the vehicle toward the Escalade.
Darrin Swenson, who was in Hunt's vehicle, told police he and Hunt followed the pickup to try to get the license plate number after the pickup hit the Escalade, according to police reports. Swenson said they lost the pickup, but saw it again on Walnut Street and the pickup drove toward Hunt's vehicle a second time, according to police reports.
The Escalade blocked the driver's side door of the pickup. Hunt and Swenson went to the passenger door to prevent Salinas-Hurtado from leaving the scene, according to the reports. A witness reported seeing the two men holding Salinas-Hurtado on the ground and yelling at him, according to police reports.
Hunt's lawsuit contends that Hunt was only following Salinas-Hurtado's vehicle to get the license number and Salinas-Hurtado fled at high speeds through school zones and residential areas. The lawsuit also claims that Salinas-Hurtado falsely told police that he did not know Hunt was following his vehicle after the accident.
According to the complaint, Salinas-Hurtado claims Hunt damaged his vehicle by striking it twice and created a substantial danger of death or serious physical injury. Hunt denies the allegations, the lawsuit claims.
Salinas-Hurtado was arrested in connection with misdemeanor leaving the scene of an accident in connection with the accident.
Hunt claims in the lawsuit he made a U-turn in an attempt to get the license number from Salinas-Hurtado's vehicle and two vehicles collided.
Hunt hired Stanley Andrews and his company, Ei Consultants, to investigate the accident. Andrews is an expert in accident reconstruction, the lawsuit states.
Andrews found Hunt's vehicle was traveling at 22 mph and Salinas-Hurtado's truck was traveling at 36 mph before the first collision. Andrews found the second impact occurred as the vehicles reached their final points of rest, according to court documents.
Andrews found Hunt's vehicle was traveling less than 5 mph and Salinas-Hurtado's vehicle was near 0 mph before the second impact.
Andrews concluded the forensic evidence shows Hunt did not intentionally strike Salinas-Hurtado's vehicle two separate times and did not create the possibility of a serious injury or death, according to the complaint.
Stevens' report was filed as an exhibit with the lawsuit.
Hunt seeks unspecified monetary damages from Salinas-Hurtado.
The lawsuit is assigned to Circuit Judge Brad Karren.
NW News on 10/13/2015