A high-speed chase in Arkansas involving reported speeds of up to 95 mph ended with a crash that left a pregnant passenger hurt and the driver arrested, authorities said.
Around 10 a.m. Wednesday, officers with Russellville and Pottsville police pursued a red Ford Mustang speeding in Pope County, according to a statement.
The driver, whose identity was not released, was not taken into custody at that time and was last seen on Crow Mountain in the Pottsville area.
Later that day, the Johnson County sheriff’s office received a call of a gas theft from Hagarville Grocery and Station at 11925 Arkansas 123 in Lamar involving a car that matched the earlier vehicle’s description.
Deputies responded around 6 p.m. Wednesday to the area of Arkansas 123 and Arkansas 164, where they found the Ford and tried to initiate a traffic stop.
As the driver attempted to flee, authorities began a chase on Arkansas 164 that continued onto Arkansas 21 through the Ozone community, which is about 11.5 miles north of Clarksville.
The sheriff’s office noted that the driver entered into oncoming traffic several times and traveled at high speeds throughout the pursuit.
A spike strip set up outside of Ozone was unsuccessful in stopping the Ford, which reportedly was traveling around 95 mph at the time, the sheriff’s office said.
After a second attempt to stop the driver, the car wrecked about half a mile north of Patsy’s Peek Antique Store outside Ozone.
The driver was arrested at the scene. A pregnant female passenger inside the Ford was injured and later flown to St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Russellville. Her condition was not immediately clear.
A request for more information from the Johnson County sheriff’s office was not immediately available Thursday afternoon.
