Man Faces Felony Charge After Fleeing Traffic Stop and Crashing Vehicle in Paragould

PARAGOULD, Ark. – A man is facing a number of charges including a felony after he fled from a traffic stop before wrecking out in Paragould.

At about 1:30 AM on January 22, a Paragould officer activated their emergency lights and began a traffic stop on a silver Saturn without functional tail lamps and for displaying a license plate that was stolen earlier in the evening.

Advertisement
Advertisement

The vehicle did not stop, the probable cause affidavit says. Instead, it began accelerating and continued to flee at a high rate of speed, according to police.

A few moments later, the driver attempted to make a left turn onto Walcott Road, lost control of the vehicle, missed the turn, and left the roadway. As the vehicle left the roadway, it struck a curb on the south side of the highway, went airborne and struck a brick sign, and then travelled across Walcott Road before coming to rest in a ditch.

Larry R. Keen, 66, was arrested on charges including felony fleeing, misdemeanor criminal mischief, theft of property, reckless driving, driving without a license, fake plates, tail lamps/reflectors, and an unclassified traffic offense for no insurance.

Keen is being held in the Greene County Detention Center. Probable cause was found by Judge Dan Stidham to hold Keen on a $15,000 cash only bond.