FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KFSM) — Fayetteville Police and rescue personnel responded to a report of an SUV that drove off a cliff behind the Northwest Arkansas Mall on Thursday morning (May 2).
The SUV lost control while driving through the mall's parking lot on the north side near Dillard's. The car went down the edge of the parking lot about 75 feet. Fayetteville Police said the driver of the vehicle, Billy Ray Johnson, ran off.
“We don’t know why he fled the scene, however if he would like to come to the police department and talk to officer Nunnez and get all this cleared up that would be greatly appreciated. We need to finish the police report and get a clear picture of what actually happened," Corporal Tiffney Lindley.
The passenger of the SUV was injured but managed to make it into a mall bathroom before returning to the ambulance for treatment, his mother told 5NEWS.
Corporal Tiffney Lindley said sometimes they are amazed with accidents that happen under strange circumstances.
“Then you have the one like today where you are like how did they drive off that ravine…that’s never happened before. Sometimes people just aren’t paying attention and that’s what it leads to. I can’t speak for the driver of this car, I don’t know what was happening,” she said.
Police don't consider Johnson, 27, a suspect but would like to talk to him.
Police are working to determine how the driver lost control while driving through the parking lot.
NWA Towing was called in to retrieve the vehicle. It took about an hour to get SUV back up to the parking lot.
Police are still looking for the driver.
