Highfill police pursuit ends in injury crash

HIGHFILL — Police in Highfill were involved in a high-speed pursuit which ended in an injury accident near the intersection of Arkansas Highway 264 and Brush Arbor Road on July 3, according to a police department release.

According to a release from Blake Webb, chief of police in Highfill, Malachi W. Thompson, 30, of Rogers, was stopped by Highfill police near the intersection of Arkansas Highways 12 and 264 for driving a Yamaha motorcycle without a license plate. The driver of the motorcycle fled from the traffic stop on the motorcycle when officers were getting out of their patrol cars, with officers then pursuing the motorcycle eastbound on Highway 264.

The motorcycle was reaching speeds exceeding 110 miles per hour and passing other vehicles in no-passing zones, according to the release. The motorcycle “subsequently was involved in a … crash with another vehicle” according to the release, resulting in the motorcycle driver receiving “significant injuries from the crash,” the release states. The motorcycle driver, identified by police as Thompson, was transported by air ambulance and was being treated for his injuries at Washington Regional Hospital in Fayetteville, the release states.

According to the release, Thompson had a felony warrant out of Benton County for residential burglary at the time of the traffic stop, as well as a misdemeanor warrant out of Little Flock for failure to appear on charges of possession of drug paraphernalia.

The release states that additional charges will be sought against Thompson for felony fleeing, failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, reckless driving, driving a motorcycle without a motorcycle endorsement, passing in a no passing zone and driving on a suspended license.