PEA RIDGE, Ark. — According to the Pea Ridge Police Department (PRPD), a high-speed chase took place on Thursday, April 18.
The release said that at around 3:41 p.m. a 2003 Chevy Malibu with an Illinois license plate was driving erratically on Weston Street. An officer followed the vehicle westbound onto Hazelton Road when the Chevy started speeding.
PRPD said the Chevy then passed a vehicle in a no-passing zone "east of Charles Street." The officer then started a traffic stop, but the Chevy did not stop.
Officials said the officer believed the driver was trying to "avoid him" as it continued to drive westbound on Hazelton Road, west of It’ll Do Road and "through several county roads outside the city" before getting onto Highway 72.
The chase continued west on the highway toward Bentonville and by this time, other officers were called to assist in the chase. The release said the officers were getting ready to place "stop sticks" but the suspect ended up crashing. According to the release, at Price Coffee Road, the suspect tried to "pass another vehicle" and that's when they lost control and drove off the road, crashing into a tree.
The entire chase lasted about 10 minutes, police said. In the vehicle, was 31-year-old Joshua and 31-year-old Cheyanne Sidman, both of rogers. The two were examined by medics at the scene but were not "significantly injured," PRPD said.
Police then searched the vehicle and found "illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia," the release said. Police concluded that Sidman was an "unwilling passenger during the pursuit" and was not charged. Parks on the other hand, was already wanted on felony and misdemeanor warrants. He was arrested and is facing these additional charges:
- Felony fleeing
- Felony aggravated assault
- False imprisonment
- Felony possession of drug paraphernalia
- Misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance
- Reckless driving
- Speeding – more than 30 mph over the limit
- Fail to obey stop sign
- Careless and prohibited driving
- Expired tags
- No liability insurance
Park is being held for bond at the Benton County jail.
Stay with 5NEWS for updates.
Watch 5NEWS on YouTube.
Download the 5NEWS app on your smartphone:
Stream 5NEWS 24/7 on the 5+ app: How to watch the 5+ app on your streaming device
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com and detail which story you're referring to.