Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – Dec. 3, 2024 – A Jonesboro man is accused of speeding while intoxicated, causing him to crash into a light pole.
Police observed a man traveling on Johnson Avenue from Clinton School Road in a stolen vehicle. The officer attempted to make a traffic stop, to which the car began fleeing at 101 mph in a 55-mph zone.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the officer conducted a PIT maneuver to “end the pursuit before it entered a busier part of the city.” This caused the vehicle to enter a ditch and crash into a light pole belonging to City Water and Light. The pole’s approximate damage is $50,000.
The driver, identified as 45-year-old Edwin Franklin, was taken into custody and transported to St. Bernards Medical Center. While headed to the hospital, Franklin reportedly made multiple “unsolicited” statements about how he was intoxicated and later “admitted to taking multiple drugs and drinking alcohol.”
Franklin is charged with the following:
- Theft by receiving greater than $5,000 less than $25,000
- Criminal mischief first degree more than $25,000
- Fleeing in vehicle
- DWI drugs first offense
- Reckless driving
- Speeding more than 16mph over speed limit
His court date is set for Dec. 17 at 8:30 a.m. and was given a bond of $5,000 cash or surety. He is being held at the Craighead County Detention Center.
