A high-speed pursuit through a residential neighborhood early Saturday ended with the car crashing into a utility pole and the arrest of two local men, including one for felony fleeing.
The driver, identified as James Isaiah Johnson, 28, who lists a Lafayette Street address, was taken into custody shortly after 12:30 a.m. and charged with felony fleeing in a vehicle, punishable by up to six years in prison, and a misdemeanor count of fleeing on foot. He was later released on a $3,000 bond.
The passenger, James Edward Hill, 32, was charged with a misdemeanor count of fleeing on foot and later released on a $500 bond.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Hot Springs police Sgt. LeeAnn Zaner was in the area of Silver and Cypress streets when she saw a black Nissan passenger car pass by on Silver "at an extremely high rate of speed" headed toward Crescent Avenue.
She saw the vehicle turn onto Crescent where it accelerated at such a high speed it nearly struck another vehicle head-on as it approached Portland Street. She attempted to catch up to the car as it made a sudden turn onto Pleasant Street and then onto John Street.
She attempted to make a traffic stop on the car, which continued to Palmetto Street "as if it were going to stop," but then it accelerated again east onto Crescent, reaching speeds in excess of 50 mph. As the car neared the intersection of Crescent and Portland again, it veered left of center and ran the stop sign.
The car turned onto Ash Street, reaching speeds in excess of 60 mph, and ran the stop signs at Ash and Palmetto and then Ash and Pleasant, before turning onto Pleasant and traveling back to Crescent again, now reaching speeds in excess of 80 mph, Zaner noted.
At Crescent and Chattanooga Street, the driver lost control of the car, which left the roadway and continued east until it crashed into a utility pole at Cypressvale and Chattanooga, snapping the pole into two pieces.
Both the driver and passenger fled the disabled car on foot, heading south on Cypressvale and into a wooded area between Woodridge Street and Crescent. They were both located lying on the ground in the woods and taken into custody without further incident.
Both Johnson and Hill reportedly admitted to drinking alcohol and smoking Hill's medical marijuana earlier "causing them to make poor decisions," the affidavit states.
Local on 03/31/2020