A 17-year-old male is in the Benton County Juvenile Detention Center awaiting court after lying to police about an accident, according to Pea Ridge Police.
Police were notified of a one-vehicle accident at 8:34 p.m. Monday, Aug. 31, involving a vehicle that ran off McCulloch Street through the lot on the northeast corner of McCulloch and Dodge Street.
"A witness said three juveniles took off running from the scene of the car wreck," Police Chief Ryan Walker said, adding that one officer stayed with the vehicle while another went to the residence to which the vehicle license plate belonged.
At the residence on Lynn Drive, police interviewed a 17-year-old male who reports that while he was turning onto Patton Street from Carr Street, another juvenile jumped out of a second vehicle, opened his door, pulled him out of his car and stole his vehicle, according to Walker. "He said a vehicle with possibly four other male occupants stopped and at least one of them pulled him out, took off and crashed the vehicle."
During an interview with the driver, he admits to police that he "blacked out while driving the car because he was huffing air duster," Walker said.
There were both a 14-year-old male and a 16-year-old male in the vehicle. No one was injured.
The driver was charged with DUI, leaving the scene of a property damage accident and two counts of child endangerment; the 14-year-old was cited for hindering apprehension and filing a false police report, according to police.
General News on 09/02/2015