Alleged hit-and-run driver in 2018 bicyclist death arrested on warrant
An El Dorado man who allegedly struck and killed a Hot Springs bicyclist with his car last year was arrested Monday.
Raymond Anderson Sanders,
59, was charged with a felony count of leaving the scene of an accident involving injury or death, punishable by up to six years in prison, in connection with the May
23, 2018, death of Brett J. Mc- Cullough, 52, of Hot Springs, in the 3300 block of Airport Road.
Sanders was released on
$5,000 bond the same day as his arrest. His case was filed directly to Garland County Circuit Court this week, but an arraignment date had not been set as of Wednesday.
According to the probable cause affidavit, on May 23, 2018, shortly before 9 p.m., McCullough was riding a bicycle in the eastbound outside lane on Airport. The area was not well lit, but McCullough reportedly had reflectors on his bicycle and was believed to be carrying a small flashlight to light his way because it was found at the scene still turned on.
Sanders was allegedly eastbound in the outside lane of Airport driving a Chevrolet Celebrity when he collided with the rear of McCullough’s bicycle, causing McCullough to come off his bicycle and collide with the hood and front windshield of Sanders’ car. McCullough’s body came to rest in the eastbound outside lane where he was later pronounced dead.
Sanders allegedly left the scene and continued eastbound. A female witness, 50, was also eastbound on Airport in the inside lane and had passed Sanders just prior to the collision. She said she had noticed a person on a bicycle and noted she didn’t see him until she was “right beside him.”
Looking in her rear view mirror, she said she saw Sanders’ vehicle collide into the bicyclist and then saw him leave the scene. She said she began following Sanders and wrote down his license plate number. She continued following him for a little over 7 miles until about the 500 block of Airport when she stopped and noted Sanders continued on eastbound.
Arkansas State Police Sgt. Russ Rhodes ran the license plate the witness provided and determined it returned to Sanders, with an El Dorado address listed. A trooper in El Dorado
went to Sanders’ residence, but no one was home and the Celebrity was not there.
The trooper spoke to a neighbor who stated Sanders was in Hot Springs and he had relatives there. The neighbor provided the addresses of the relatives and ASP Special Agent Josh Heckel went by the relatives’ residences, but did not see the Celebrity at any of them.
On May 25, Rhodes went to the one relatives’ address again and saw the Celebrity parked there. He spoke to the relative who advised Sanders had gone to ASP headquarters “so he could talk to us.” Rhodes had the Celebrity towed to the ASP Troop K garage where it was secured. He later obtained a search warrant for the vehicle.
Rhodes made contact with Sanders at Troop K headquarters and attempted to interview him, but he requested an attorney. That same day, Sanders’ vehicle was searched and evidence collected. Rhodes also got a warrant for Sanders’ cellphone records which were later provided by AT&T.
The records allegedly determined that Sanders’ phone connected with a cellphone tower on North Rogers Road around 8:45 p.m., which was 2.7 miles east of the accident scene. The cellphone later connected with a tower on East Grand around 9:45 p.m. and a tower just south of the intersection of the King Expressway and Malvern Road shortly after 10 p.m.
The affidavit notes the cellphone information was consistent with the statement from the witness who reportedly followed Sanders.
On May 15, 2019, Rhodes and Garland County Sheriff’s investigator Jennifer Tonseth spoke to Sanders’ relative again in Hot Springs and she reportedly stated Sanders had told her he thought he collided with a deer that night and that he was by himself. A warrant for Sanders’ arrest was issued on Sunday.