Driver, 20, charged in crash death

A Little Rock man has been charged in Pope County with first- degree murder and aggravated robbery after police say he crashed a stolen pickup last month while being pursued by police, killing the passenger.

Robert Blake, 20, was scheduled for arraignment Monday but his court appearance was delayed to 9 a. m. Feb. 22, according to Pope County Circuit Court records.

He was being held in the Pope County jail in lieu of $ 250,000 bond.

Blake is accused in the death of Mashaud Richardson on Jan. 6.

According to the sheriff’s office, Richardson was ejected from a Nissan pickup he and Blake hijacked from the owner minutes earlier. Blake crashed the pickup on an Interstate 40 ramp while being chased by Russellville police.

Richardson, 20, was critically injured in the wreck and transported to Baptist Health Medical Center in Little Rock where he died, according to the sheriff’s office.

The criminal complaint filed Thursday on the murder charge by Prosecuting Attorney David Gibbons said Blake caused Richardson’s death “under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life.”

According to information released by the sheriff’s office and Russellville police, the sheriff’s office received a call about 3: 25 a. m. Jan. 6 of a robbery and carjacking on U. S. 64 near Exit 78 of Interstate 40 at Russellville.

The owner of the Nissan told deputies that two men standing by a vehicle parked on the side of the road flagged him down. When he stopped to help them, the men held him at gunpoint, took his wallet and the Nissan and drove away.

The man was not injured, and the vehicle the two men were standing next to had been reported stolen.

Two Russellville police officers stationed at Exit 81 on the interstate were alerted to the robbery and carjacking and saw the pickup pass. They chased the pickup and attempted to stop it.

The pickup traveled onto Interstate 40 at a high rate of speed with the Russellville police in pursuit. The driver of the pickup tried to exit the interstate at Exit 84 but lost control on the ramp and the pickup overturned, ejecting Richardson.

Blake ran from the scene but was caught moments later.