Chase on Highway 64 Leads to Crash and Arrest

A Clarksville, Arkansas man is in the Sequoyah County jail in Sallisaw after leading police on a wild vehicle chase Saturday evening.

Roland Police Chief Tommy Sessums said Parish Cooper, 31, faces multiple charges after leading Roland and Muldrow police and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol on a chase from Roland to Muldrow and back again, and then crashing his gray utility vehicle on Highway 64 just past Taylor Road.

Sessums said the chase began when a Roland police officer, who was leaving a Roland convenience store, was waved over by Cooper and asked for directions. The officer noted the smell of alcohol on Cooper's breath and asked if he had been drinking.  Cooper then drove off and the officer gave chase west on U.S. Highway 64.

Sessums said Parrish would drive into incoming traffic, then swerve back into the westbound lane, would steer into parking lots or driveways, do a U-turn and get back on the highway, ran red lights, and interfered with emergency ambulance traffic.

"He was driving crazy," Sessums said.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol joined the chase between Muldrow and Roland, Sessums said.

Cooper was on the way back to Fort Smith when he sideswiped another vehicle and crashed, Sessums said. No one was hurt in the crash, but Cooper did assault police who were attempting to arrest him and refused the DUI test. He was arrested at 9:45 p.m.

Among the charges Cooper faces are possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, transporting an open container of beer, failure to stop for a road block, felony eluding, running a red light, operating a motor vehicle without a driver's license, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery on a police officer, and resisting arrest.

Sessums said Muldrow police may also file charges against Cooper.

Sally Maxwell, Senior News Director

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