Man Accused of Leading 100 MPH Wrong-Way Chase on I-555

JONESBORO, Ark. — A Little Rock man who allegedly led police on a chase last August must wear a GPS ankle monitor if he posts the $75,000 cash or surety bond requirement set for his release Monday in Craighead County.

Police responded on August 5, 2024, to a hotel in Jonesboro over a disturbance, the probable cause affidavit says. The alleged victim reported that a white male, whom they didn’t know, was threatening to kill them and to kill police if they arrived. The suspect was identified later as Vernon Curtis.

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Officers arrived and met Curtis, ordering him to show his hands. Instead, he reportedly ran to his vehicle and entered it. He started the automobile but didn’t move for a short time. As officers continued to order him to show his hands and exit the vehicle, he accelerated “at a high rate of speed” onto the roadway with police giving chase.

The affidavit says Curtis turned onto I-555, going northbound in the southbound lane while at a high rate of speed. As other vehicles swerved to avoid him, speeds reached over 100 miles per hour, police said. Officers used spike strips on the vehicle, but it continued.

Eventually, the pursuit was taken over by the Bono police and the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department. They were able to stop the vehicle and take Curtis into custody. He was transferred into JPD’s custody.

It was determined that Curtis was under the influence of some type of narcotic, the affidavit says. He was taken to the hospital, where a warrant was issued to collect a sample of his blood. He was also admitted due to a medical issue he was experiencing.

Officers later met with the original callers. The affidavit says they were in their vehicle while Curtis was shouting. They rolled the window down, and Curtis allegedly threatened to kill them and the police when the victims said they were calling 911.

Curtis was arrested for first-degree terroristic threatening and fleeing, both Class D felonies; resisting arrest, reckless driving, DWI-drugs, and driving while a license is revoked, all misdemeanors. Jail records show he was returned to custody of the Craighead County Detention Center on June 6, 2025.

Curtis appeared before Judge Tommy Fowler on Monday, June 9, 2025, for his bond hearing. Bail was set at $75,000 cash or surety, with a GPS ankle monitor ordered upon release. The judge noted Curtis had multiple failure to appear cases, was not from the area, and was a danger to the public.

All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.