BENTON COUNTY (KFSM) — An affidavit from the Benton County Sheriff’s Office provided more details Wednesday on the Monday night chase through the county that resulted in a woman’s arrest early Tuesday.
Sgt. Jeff Simpson of the sheriff’s office said he was on patrol about 10:20 p.m. on U.S. 62 in Garfield when he noticed a silver Toyota Prius with brake and running lights burned out. Simpson said he tried to stop the vehicle just east of the entrance to Pea Ridge National Military Park, but the car began speeding up.
“Within a few seconds we were traveling at over 90 mph,” Simpson said in the probable cause affidavit.
Simpson said the Prius continued on U.S. 62 as it became Arkansas 102/Hudson Road at speeds of up to 115 miles per hour in a 45-mph zone. He said the Prius “continued west running multiple red lights, passing in the turn lane and driving in the oncoming lane.”
Simpson said he backed off of the chase as the traffic became heavier, but the Prius still “came within what appeared to be inches” of hitting a car pulling into the Casey’s convenience store at Arkansas 102 and Main Street. Simpson said the driver kept turning the headlights on and off on the Prius despite heavy, oncoming traffic.
Decatur police deployed spike strips at Bredehoeft Road and Arkansas 102, and the Prius punctured all four tires after driving over the strips. The vehicle finally stopped at Rooster Street and Arkansas 102, Simpson said. Naomi Mitchell Miller was taken into custody and refused a preliminary breath test, he said.
Miller was taken to the Benton County jail and began a standard field sobriety test, but Miller said medical issues wouldn’t allow her to do the test properly. She also refused a breathalyzer test, so she was held until a search warrant was issued for a blood test. Simpson said the blood draw was performed at 12:45 a.m. at Northwest Medical Center in Bentonville.
Miller, who had no prior criminal history, was arrested on charges of felony fleeing and misdemeanor driving while intoxicated, refusal to submit to tests, reckless driving, speeding, disobeying a traffic control device and driving left of center.
Miller was released on a $5,000 bond. She is scheduled to appear in the Benton County Circuit Court on July 9.
