Frequent hit and runs being reported to Jonesboro police

JONESBORO, Ark. – For Jonesboro drivers, there may never be a better time to buy a personal dash camera than the present.

A litany of hit and run accidents have been reported to the Jonesboro Police Department over the past several months. In many cases, police struggle to find the responsible party due to a lack of evidence. But that isn’t always the case.

At 5:13 PM on Sunday, November 29, police were dispatched to 2405 Red Wolf Boulevard to a hit and run accident that had already occurred. The female victim said she was involved in an accident. After it happened, she made contact with the driver and told him she was calling the police. The report said he called her a “bitch” and left the scene. Thinking fast, the woman wrote down his license plate number and authorities traced it back to the Michael Holladay, 44, of Brookland. The license plate return also matched the suspect vehicle, a red 2008 GMC Sierra truck. It wasn’t clear in the report if police planned to seek a warrant or if the victim was referred to the city attorney’s office to file a criminal affidavit.

At 6:11 PM on Sunday a hit and run happened at the intersection of East Highland Drive and South Caraway Road. Two victims reported the suspect vehicle fled after causing the accident that involved three vehicles, total. The suspect vehicle was described as a darker passenger car, possibly black, with front end damage from the wreck. However, no suspect was listed in the report.

At 6:30 PM a short time later, another hit and run happened. This time, a suspect caused an accident at East Johnson and Patrick Street. The suspect fled.

More accidents with drivers to fled the scene were reported over the holiday weekend besides on Sunday.

At about 12:40 PM Friday at 225 Jackson Avenue, a victim’s vehicle was struck by a 2005 black Dodge pickup which then left the scene. The victim’s vehicle was parked, making the statute violation Notification If Unattended Vehicle is Struck instead. A Securitas employee made the report.

Shortly after 4 PM Friday at the intersection of Phillips Drive and Red Wolf Boulevard, a hit and run accident took place. The female victim said she was traveling south on Red Wolf when she stopped at the Apache/Phillips red-light. The dark blue passenger car rear-ended her. She pulled over but the car fled. The suspect vehicle was described as a blue/dark four-door hardtop but the driver couldn’t identify the make or model in time.

Then at 7 PM, officers were dispatched to 1108 Rainwood where a man reported his mailbox had been ran over the night before. The suspect vehicle left white paint transfer on the mailbox but no other details were known at that time.

That night, yet another hit and run was reported a short time before 9 PM on Friday night at the intersection of East Matthews and Stallings. There, a 20-year-old female victim said a white four-door sedan crashed into her and left the scene. The vehicle’s make and model were unknown. It sustained damage to the passenger side headlight area. The victim couldn’t provide any further description to officers.

Later on at 10 PM, a report was taken at 221 Cedar St of a vehicle hitting a fence and fleeing the scene, too. Authorities learned the suspect driver was a juvenile who attended MacArthur. A wiper blade was stuck in the fence and some pieces of the vehicle were left in the roadway.

With this and more happening in just a few short days in Jonesboro, it could be a wise investment for Craighead commuters to consider uninsured motorist insurance coverage or even personal dash cams. Many local retailers, including Jonesboro Walmart locations, carry dash cameras starting at about $100.

If you’re interested in shopping for dash cameras, Tech Radar reviewed the best cameras in November of this year.