An Izard County man wanted in connection with a theft led deputies on a high speed chase, but then fled the vehicle due to a flat tire and proceeded to run headfirst into a tree, ending the pursuit. Eight charges have been filed against 47-year-old Edward Allan Eastwood of Oxford for the incidents.
According to the probable cause affidavit in the case, deputies were called to a business concerning the theft of items. During the investigation, Eastwood was developed as a suspect due to a description of his vehicle given by a witness and the fact deputies had a recent interaction with him in a similar vehicle.
Deputies went to Eastwood’s house in Oxford. As they approached his residence, he was pulling out of the driveway with a loaded trailer. A traffic stop was made for having a missing light and no trailer tags. Eastwood eventually pulled over, but when he was asked to step out of the vehicle, he took off. As he did, he narrowly missed hitting one deputy who fired shots in an attempt to hit the trailer tires.
Eastwood continued at a high rate of speed onto Arkansas State Highway 56 where he tried several times to side swipe a deputy’s vehicle who was attempting to pass him.
As the chase continued into Horseshoe Bend, a tire on Eastwood’s trailer blew, allowing a deputy to pass him and slow him down. Eastwood stopped and fled the vehicle into a wooded area where he ran headfirst into a tree and was captured.
Eastwood was wearing a fanny pack containing suspected psilocybin mushrooms, a crystalline substance that field tested positive for methamphetamine and a used glass pipe with the presence of methamphetamine.
While checking the vehicle and trailer, law enforcement found many of the items reported stolen earlier in the day.
Eastwood is facing felony charges of aggravated assault, fleeing, theft of property, breaking or entering, possession of a schedule II controlled substance and possession of a schedule I controlled substance along with misdemeanor charges of fleeing on foot and possession of drug paraphernalia. His bond is set at $200,000.
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