A Batesville man is facing a variety of charges after leading a sheriff’s deputy on a chase that exceeded speeds of 100 mph early Sunday morning.
According to the incident report, around midnight, Casey Martin, a deputy with the Independence County Sheriff’s Department, observed a 1991 Chevrolet Camaro pull out of Camp Tahkodah Road onto Highway 167, accelerate quickly, with the driver skidding the vehicle’s tires in a “careless manner.”
After the deputy approached the Camaro in his patrol vehicle, Martin observed the Camaro accelerate to a speed of 65 mph. Martin activated his emergency lights in an attempt to stop the vehicle, and the Camaro then sped through the red light at the intersection of Highway 14 and Highway 167, ultimately hitting speeds of over 100 mph.
The deputy alerted dispatch of the pursuit and observed the Camaro cross the left-of-center line and make multiple unsafe lane changes. As the chase approached the Batesville city limits, Martin slowed to a safe speed and watched the Camaro travel northbound at an “extreme high rate of speed,” disregarding lights at the intersections of St. Louis and Meyer streets, as well as at St. Louis and Harrison intersection, according to the report.
The Camaro finally came to a stop in the parking lot of Tai-Lee restaurant, 805 St. Louis St., after the vehicle’s engine blew. There, Martin along with fellow deputies and officers from the Batesville Police Department arrested the driver of the Camaro, Dale Hawk Goodwin (pictured), 18, of Batesville.
When asked why Goodwin fled from the deputy, Goodwin stated the Camaro was a “new car,” according to the report.
Goodwin was transported to the Independence County Detention Facility. He is facing misdemeanor charges of fleeing, reckless driving, no proof of insurance, fictitious tags, running a red light, driving left of center, and driving with no license.
Get up-to-date local and regional news along with the latest sports and weather every weekday morning by listening to Gary B. and Ozark Newsline on Arkansas 103.3 KWOZ. White River Now updates are also broadcast weekday mornings on 93 KZLE, Outlaw 106.5, and 99.5 Hits Now. If you have a news tip or event to promote, email White River Now at news@whiterivernow.com. Be sure to like and follow White River Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
