Police identify man killed in Little Rock pursuit crash

LITTLE ROCK — Police on Monday identified the driver killed in a crash Sunday involving a car being pursued by police.

Jose Hernandez, 62, was driving a Toyota Sienna at West 36th Street and John Barrow Road when his vehicle was hit by a vehicle driven by Frederick Jones, 40, who was fleeing police at high speed.

Hernandez and his wife were in the vehicle, which caught fire after the crash and was extinguished by firefighters.

Hernandez and Jones were transported to Baptist Health Medical Center. Jones suffered injuries in the crash, including a broken leg, according to Little Rock police spokesman Lt. Michael Ford.

On Sunday evening, Ford announced that Hernandez had died of his injuries at the hospital. Officers rescued his wife from the burning vehicle. Her injuries were not life-threatening, according to Ford.

In the statement Monday, police said a stolen handgun and what appeared to be cocaine were found in Jones’ possession after the collision.

After he was released from the hospital, Jones was transported to the Pulaski County jail, where he remained Monday evening without bail, according to an inmate roster.

He faces charges of first-degree battery, terroristic act, two counts of possession of a firearm by certain persons, theft by receiving, possession of a controlled substance with purpose to deliver, simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to Little Rock District Court records. Jones pleaded not guilty to all charges on Monday.

Other charges related to the collision that killed Hernandez were pending as of Monday morning, police said.

Another person in the vehicle with Jones at the time of the crash was taken into custody for an unrelated traffic warrant, authorities said.

Jones was being sought in a shooting at 2514 W. 13th St. on Saturday evening.

According to an incident report, officers responding to a report of shots fired discovered a victim with multiple gunshot wounds who told police he had been riding in a truck eastbound on 13th Street when Jones shot him in the left arm and right hand. The victim and Jones had been in a dispute earlier that day, the victim said, when he told Jones to get off his property.

Police unsuccessfully tried to contact Jones at his home on 13th Street, the incident report says. A caller later told police of the location of a green minivan driven by Jones, and the suspect fled when police attempted a traffic stop on West 12th Street and Kanis Road.

The chase was brief, with Jones driving south on John Barrow Road at high speed before hitting Hernandez’s minivan at the intersection, according to police.