A driver faces charges in the death of a passenger in his pickup after an act of road rage eventually resulted in a chase and crash in Arkansas, authorities say.
Christopher Kennamer, 33, of Cabot was arrested last month on counts of first-degree murder and aggravated assault as well as a number of drug- and weapon-related charges.
Records show an arrest warrant was filed May 16. He appeared in court May 24.
A trooper with the Arkansas State Police responded to a call around 10 a.m. May 15 of a possible road-rage incident, according to the affidavit filed in Lonoke County Circuit Court.
The caller reported that someone, later identified by authorities as Kennamer, was harassing her while she traveled on Arkansas 13 near U.S. 67 in White County.
A state trooper was able to briefly stop Kennamer’s vehicle, a silver 2008 Dodge Ram, at a northbound U.S. 67 on-ramp in Beebe, but the driver later fled when asked to exit his pickup, the affidavit states.
A pursuit then ensued, with authorities attempting to catch up to Kennamer’s vehicle as he traveled northbound on U.S. 67 and later southbound on the highway, at times at speeds faster than 100 mph, another trooper noted.
The chase continued as Kennamer exited the highway and traveled about 2.3 miles north on Arkansas 319 outside Ward. It ended when the pickup veered out of control at a curve and overturned a short time later, police said.
A passenger in the vehicle, 30-year-old Savannah Carol Knight of Beebe, was ejected and died as a result of the crash.
Kennamer, who was also thrown from the pickup, was found a short distance from the vehicle “curled into the fetal position,” according to authorities.
He attempted to run but kept falling down and was later taken to UAMS Medical Center in Little Rock for treatment, a trooper noted.
Kennamer’s name did not appear in online inmate roster for the Lonoke County jail as of Friday afternoon.
He is set to appear July 17 in Lonoke County Circuit Court for a pretrial hearing.
