Springdale woman leads police on high-speed chase Saturday

SPRINGDALE — A woman with a 15-year-old passenger led police on a high-speed car chase through downtown late Saturday night, police said.

No one was injured in the chase, according to a preliminary police report.

Betty Lee Riley, 34, of Springdale was arrested in connection with possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and fleeing in a vehicle, all felonies. She also faces misdemeanor charges, including second-degree child endangerment, according to the Washington County Detention Center online report.

Riley was driving a Chevrolet pickup on Emma Avenue at 11 p.m. Saturday when she nearly ran her pickup into the back of a police car, according to the report. When police tried to stop the pickup, Riley sped off, ran six stop signs, swerved into the wrong lane several times and reached about 80 mph on Holcomb Street, police said.

She dropped down to 60 mph on West Sunset Avenue and nearly caused an accident near Young Street when she suddenly turned in front of a car. Riley’s pickup went airborne over the railroad tracks on Porter Avenue, causing sparks to fly when it landed, according to the police report.

The chase ended at Crutcher Strawberry Apartments, at 1305 Crutcher St., police said. Riley stopped the pickup and tried to run away when police caught her.

Police found a teen boy in the truck, according to the report. Police also found methamphetamine, marijuana, baggies with drug residue and a digital scale. Riley is connected to a hit and run earlier Saturday near Berry Street and Huntsville Avenue.

Riley was at the Washington County Detention Center with a $3,500 bond Monday.

Riley