A habitual offender who led Arkansas State Police and others on a high-speed chase last year was sentenced to 18 years in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty to multiple felony charges in Garland County Circuit Court.
Randy Thomas Turner, 41, who lists a Little Rock address, pleaded guilty to first-degree criminal mischief more than $5,000 and was sentenced to 18 years in prison. Turner also pleaded guilty to fleeing in a vehicle, possession of a controlled substance, meth, and first-degree criminal mischief more than $1,000, and was sentenced to 10 years on each count. All of the sentences are to run concurrently.
Turner also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of driving while intoxicated, drugs, first offense, and was sentenced to one year in jail, and his driver's license was suspended for six months. He was also ordered to pay $16,338 in restitution for the damage he caused during the pursuit.
Turner is classified as a habitual offender with 14 prior felony convictions, including four out of Contra Costa County, Calif. in 2004; two out of Pulaski County in 2008; five out of Garland County in 2009; and three out of Washington County in 2010.
According to the probable cause affidavit, on Nov. 11, 2017, around 6 p.m., Arkansas State Police Trooper Ryan Wingo began pursuing a gray Ford Mustang eastbound on Highway 270 west that matched the description of a stolen car out of Montgomery County. He followed the Mustang as it turned onto Mountain Pine Road and accelerated quickly.
Wingo and Garland County sheriff's deputies continued to pursue the vehicle north on Mountain Pine Road, noting it was traveling at 60 mph in curves and in excess of 100 mph in straight areas of the road, crossing the centerline multiple times.
The Mustang turned onto McGrew Lane, traveled to the end where it entered private property, and drove around a residence there. The vehicle crashed through a wooden fence, a metal gate, two metal fences and a second metal gate. At one point, Wingo attempted a pit maneuver, damaging his unit, but failed to stop the Mustang as it returned to McGrew Lane.
The Mustang ran a stop sign and continued north on Mountain Pine Road again and Wingo noted the vehicle had sustained front-end damage and was leaking fluids. The vehicle passed a car on the shoulder at one point and continued to drive left of center along the road.
At the south end of Mountain Pine Road, an Arkansas State Parks officer attempted to slow the Mustang down by driving in front of it, but it finally passed the officer on the left and continued to Blakely Dam Road and onto Main Street in Mountain Pine. Wingo attempted a pit maneuver again but was unsuccessful.
The Mustang turned onto Sixth Street and then onto Seventh Street, where Wingo was finally successful in blocking the car and forcing it to stop. The driver, later identified as Turner, jumped out and fled on foot into a nearby residence. Wingo chased him on foot and deployed his Taser and Turner finally surrendered.
He briefly resisted arrest, but Turner was taken into custody and a baggie of what later tested positive for meth was found in his wallet. Turner lost consciousness at one point and started to have a seizure so he was transported by LifeNet to CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs for treatment.
A bystander approached Wingo with a large machete he said he had seen Turner throw out of the car during the chase through the residential area of Mountain Pine. In reviewing his unit's dash video, Wingo was able to confirm Turner threw something out at one point.
At the hospital, Turner stated he had eaten meth and marijuana during the chase and had consumed other controlled substances prior to the chase. In addition to the felony and misdemeanor charges, Turner was cited with multiple traffic counts and was found to have warrants for his arrest out of Cabot, Lonoke County and White County for probation and parole violations.
Local on 05/11/2018