Man pleads not guilty to charges stemming from October crash
Ceynowa now faces jury trial
TEXARKANA, Ark. — A man accused of causing a crash while driving under the influence and then fleeing from police entered not guilty pleas Monday to charges of accident with injury and evading arrest in a vehicle.
John Michael Ceynowa, 30, appeared with Texarkana lawyer Shorty Barrett for arraignment Monday morning before 5th District Judge Bill Miller. Miller scheduled the case for a jury trial Nov. 2.
Ceynowa entered a plea of not guilty in December to a charge of driving while intoxicated, second offense, in Bowie County Court at Law. He is scheduled to appear before County Court at Law Judge Craig Henry on the misdemeanor charge May 10.
Ceynowa was arrested for the two felonies and the misdemeanor the night of Oct. 20.
A Wake Village, Texas, police officer spotted a red Chevrolet Silverado traveling northbound in the 500 block of Kings Highway at approximately 7:30 p.m. The truck’s headlights were off, its left front tire was missing and sparks were flying from the front end.
As the officer activated his lights and attempted to pull the truck over, the driver, identified later as Ceynowa turned on Old Redwater Road heading west.
“The driver appeared to be having a hard time keeping the vehicle on the road,” the affidavit states. “The vehicle did not stop as it was nearly hitting oncoming vehicles and went off the road in the ditch a few times.” The truck allegedly came to a stop after crashing through a locked gate on a private driveway. As the officer approached the truck, he gave commands for the driver to show his hands. The truck’s airbag deployed and was covering the window, obscuring the driver from view.
After getting out of the truck, Ceynowa allegedly ignored commands to get onto the ground and submit to arrest.
“I grabbed John by the shoulder and assisted him onto the ground,” the affidavit states. “I retrieved a wallet and a shot glass from John’s pants pocket.”
Meanwhile, Department of Public Safety troopers were working the crash scene on U.S. 67. It was allegedly determined during the investigation that Ceynowa struck another vehicle, causing it to roll, before Ceynowa hit a second vehicle and fled the scene.
One of the crash victims was transported via ambulance for treatment at a local hospital.
Ceynowa allegedly failed field sobriety tests and allegedly admitted to consuming beer and whiskey while at Scottie’s Grill before heading to a friend’s house in Wake Village. Because of a prior DWI conviction in 2015, Ceynowa was charged with DWI second offense.
He is currently free on bonds totaling $45,000.
If convicted of DWI, second offense, Ceynowa faces six months to a year in the county jail though any sentence imposed could be probated.
Both of the felony charges facing Ceynowa are punishable by two to 10 years in prison.