BENTON COUNTY (KFSM) — A Fort Smith man was arrested on Monday (May 29) after he allegedly led Benton County deputies on a high speed chase and rammed his vehicle into several patrol vehicles and tried to hit deputies with his car.
Devante Caraway, 24, is facing multiple felony charges of aggravated assault, first degree criminal mischief, and second degree battery, according to booking documents. He’s also facing misdemeanor charges of reckless driving, driving while license is revoked, driving while intoxicated, fleeing, obstructing government operations and driving without headlights.
A deputy pulled over Caraway around 1:20 a.m. along South 8th Street on Monday (May 29) after noticing that he was driving without headlights, according to an arrest report. Caraway told the deputy that he didn’t have his driver’s license with him, so he handed over a GameStop rewards card saying it was his “other license.”
The deputy said that Caraway, who appeared confused and stuttered a lot during their interaction, initially gave him the wrong birthday and name, identifying himself as “Ty Carawey” and then “Tyrone Carawey.”
Shortly afterward a deputy found a GameStop receipt with the name “Devante Caraway,” and the man said that was his name, although he goes by his middle name, Tyrone.
Caraway started his vehicle and took off after deputies returned to their patrol vehicle to run his name, the report states. The deputies followed him along West Olrich Street, and then he ran through a red light and turned on South 1st Street and then wove through several other streets. Caraway was still driving without headlights.
While driving through East Mulberry Street, a vehicle pulled into the yard of a home to avoid a collision with Caraway’s vehicle. The deputies stopped the chase, which was taken over by some other deputies.
After Caraway pulled into an EZ Mart parking lot along New Hope Road, deputies tried to conduct another traffic stop, the document states. However, Caraway used his vehicle as a battering ram and drove into the patrol vehicle and pushed it back, then he drove off. Two deputies had to jump out of the way of Caraway’s vehicle so they wouldn’t be hit.
A third deputy took over the chase, following Caraway until he eventually pulled into the Iglesia Baustista Getsemani Church parking lot and then drove through a field, the report states. Somewhere in the field Caraway punctured his tire. He turned around in the field and then took off along Price Lane again. Caraway’s vehicle nearly hit a motorcyclist when he ran a stop light along Price Lane.
Eventually the chase ended after Caraway wrecked the vehicle at County Line Liquor, the report states. He was taken to the Benton County Detention Center, where he is being held on a $35,000 bond.
Caraway drove at speeds up to 75 mph during the pursuit, the document states.
