Wednesday, March 24, 2010
PEA RIDGE — Three people were taken into custody and two remained on the loose following a high-speed pursuit involving several agencies Tuesday afternoon. The vehicle pursuit ended with a wreck in a ravine off curvy Arkansas Highway 265 north of Pea Ridge about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. One woman was taken into custody, two men fled on foot.
Police and deputies were still searching at dark for the suspects as the investigation continued.
The pursuit began in McDonald County, Mo., when McDonald County, Mo., Sheriff’s deputies attempted to stop a vehicle occupied by five people at the Wal-Mart in Jane after receiving a report of shoplifting.
Sgt. Chris Allison with McDonald County Sheriff’s Office said he and two other officers responded to Wal-Mart and as they approached the “suspect vehicle,” the vehicle’s driver attempted to ram his vehicle and that of another deputy.
Allison said he and two other deputies pursued the white Pontiac south down U.S. Highway 71.
“It happened so quick,” Allison said, adding that the driver was a male. He said once the pursuit crossed the Arkansas state line, Missouri officers yielded to Arkansas law enforcement officers who joined the pursuit.
In Arkansas, Benton County Sheriff’s deputies reported the vehicle turned onto Benton County 40.
Pea Ridge police set up at intersections along Arkansas Highway 94.
Soon, the vehicle was seen southbound on State Hwy. 94 and pursuit began again. The vehicle turned into a subdivision where two persons were seen to jump from the vehicle, police said.
The pursuit then continued back to State Hwy. 94 and then up State Hwy. 265 toward the Missouri line.
Pea Ridge police were notified about 6:45 p.m. of two people — a male and a female — in the parking lot at Arvest Bank, Pea Ridge, asking for assistance saying their car had broken down. They matched the description of the people who had been seen jumping from the vehicle earlier during the pursuit. Both were taken into custody for questioning.
The persons taken into custody for questioning were a 24-year-old female, an 18-year-old female and a 20-year-old male, all from Pryor, Okla.
A Benton County Sheriff’s deputy car wrecked at U.S. 71 and Benton County 40 during the pursuit, according to a Benton County deputy.
Officers from Little Flock assisted in the pursuit.