A $100,000 cash bond has been set for a man accused of leading officers on a 100 miles-per-hour chase before crashing at a 5K running event this weekend in Fort Smith.
Kyle Spoon, 23, appeared before a judge Wednesday (March 12) at an arraignment on closed-circuit television from the Sebastian County Detention Center.
Spoon is charged with six counts of aggravated assault, two counts of second-degree battery and one count each of fleeing from police, driving while intoxicated and refusing a breath test, records show.
Spoon entered a not guilty plea on all counts.
At the time of the incident, Spoon had been out of jail on bond in connection with several drug charges. He had been released from jail on $25,000 bond and awaiting trial in that case at the time of the chase, according to the Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office.
Fort Smith police arrested Spoon following a high-speed chase Saturday (March 8) after he drove through a 5K run and almost hit a child, according to police.
An officer witnessed a pickup truck traveling 93 miles per hour on Phoenix Avenue at 7:46 a.m. but lost sight of the vehicle. Officers saw the truck about 20 minutes later on Geren Road, but the driver again sped off, continuing the high-speed chase, police said. The high-speed chase at one point reached at least 100 mph, according to Fort Smith police.
Officers pursued the vehicle down South 58th Street and on Zero Street before Barling police took over. Sgt. Wayne Barnett, with the Fort Smith Police Department, said since the chase had gone past city limits they made the call to stop pursing the chase.
“None of us knew at the time they were having a 5K run out there this morning, so we had off duty officers that were out there helping direct traffic,” said Barnett.
The suspect then pulled onto Veterans Boulevard at Fort Chaffee, where a 5K run event was being held. Several off-duty officers were at the event and detained the suspect after he lost control of his vehicle and crashed nearby, police said.
He did not stop immediately after the crash, however.
Barnett said, “The truck became stuck, he got out of the vehicle, attempted to run on foot and two off duty officers that were saw him and took him into custody,” said Barnett.
At least six people at the event, including a six-year-old boy, said they were almost struck by the speeding vehicle, according to police. Two officers suffered minor injuries while detaining Spoon, resulting in the pending battery charges.