Woman who wrecked car during police chase pleads guilty

A woman whose vehicle was clocked at 99 miles-per-hour just before it spun out of control, turned on its side and ended up in the parking lot of a Mountain Home business appeared in Baxter County Circuit Court October 20.

Thirty-three-year-old Karissa Ann-Marie Eaton who lists an address in the Jordan area pled guilty to fleeing and was put on 12-months probation.

She fled from the scene while clutching a tennis racquet and was spotted and arrested, still carrying the racket, at Redbud and Locust.

She had been scheduled to go on trial during the week of November 10.

Around midnight on May 15, a Mountain Home Police officer reported spotting a “newer model” SUV traveling on State Highway 5 North near Butler Furniture Company.

Eaton, who was driving what was later described as a Toyota RAV 4, did not attempt to stop or slow down when the officer activated his emergency lights and siren.

The officer reported momentarily losing site of the speeding vehicle at the Casey’s General Store on Highway 5 North. When he approached the intersection of 5 North and U.S. Highway 62 B, he reported seeing the car on its side in the parking lot of Arkansas Turf and Home Comfort.

The vehicle was reported to have struck and knocked down a business sign before winding up in the parking lot.

The officer reported no one was in the vehicle when he arrived on scene. Witnesses said a female wearing a white shirt and carrying a tennis racquet had left the scene running on First Street.

A cellphone inside the vehicle listed a male as an emergency contact. The man confirmed that Eaton had been driving the SUV on the day of the accident and had been “experiencing mental health issues and acting erratically.”

Eaton was next spotted about 1:45 a.m. wearing a white shirt, no shoes and still holding the tennis racquet. She was taken into custody and transported to the Baxter County Detention Center after being medically cleared on the scene of the arrest by EMTs.

A Toyota RAV 4 key fob was found on her person and taken into evidence.

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