Motorcyclist flees police, faces felony charge
A local man who was arrested Thursday after allegedly fleeing from Hot Springs police on his motorcycle reportedly offered the reasoning that “you only live once” when asked why he fled.
Karl Ray Kratzer, 33, who refused to give an address, was taken into custody shortly after 1 p.m. and charged with a felony count of fleeing on a vehicle, punishable by up to six years in prison, and a misdemeanor count of possession of a controlled substance, marijuana, punishable by up to one year in jail.
Kratzer, who lists no prior felony history, was being held on a $3,500 bond and was set to appear Friday in Garland County District Court.
According to the probable cause affidavit, HSPD Sgt. Eric Wilhite was on patrol near Section Line Road and Central
Avenue when he saw a motorcycle with a white male driver pull into the turn lane as if to turn left onto Section Line, but instead drove north in the turn lane, passing other northbound traffic, and then continued north on Central.
As he attempted to catch up to the driver, Wilhite saw him again use the turn lane to pass another vehicle. He attempted a traffic stop near Central and Golf Links, activating his lights and siren, and the driver allegedly looked back at him and then drove down the sidewalk, across a parking lot and then fled down Golf Links.
He noted the motorcycle drove into oncoming traffic “nearly causing an accident” and forcing vehicles to go off the roadway so he turned off his lights and siren and terminated the pursuit at that point for safety.
Several minutes later, Wilhite was at the traffic light at Malvern Avenue and Lakeside Road and saw the same motorcycle stalled out at the light. He got out and approached the driver and asked why he didn’t stop earlier.
The man, later identified as Kratzer, reportedly stated that “you only live once” and that he would risk Wilhite’s life, his life and “everyone else’s life” and “would do it all over again if he had the chance.”
When asked for his driver’s license, Kratzer gave him the title to the Suzuki motorcycle which had his name on it. A check was conducted of the name, which showed Kratzer had a suspended driver’s license and no motorcycle endorsement.
Wilhite asked him multiple times if Karl Kratzer was his name, but he refused to answer. A dispatcher provided a description, including face tattoos, of Kratzer, which matched the face tattoos of the motorcycle driver.
Kratzer was taken into custody and as officers were pushing his motorcycle off the roadway they noted a strong odor of marijuana coming from a crate on the rear of the motorcycle. Inside they allegedly found a plastic baggie that contained 30.8 grams of marijuana.
Once at the detention center, Kratzer reportedly refused to cooperate with the jail staff and was put in a holding cell.