//VIDEO: Police cruiser goes airborne after high-speed chase ends in deadly crash

VIDEO: Police cruiser goes airborne after high-speed chase ends in deadly crash

Cruiser dash camera video from Arkansas State Police shows a high-speed pursuit that ended with both vehicles crashing.Arkansas State Police took over a chase around 6:30 a.m. April 10 after reports of a truck driving erratically.The chase had been underway for approximately 17 minutes when troopers took the lead. The entire pursuit lasted approximately 30 minutes.Dash camera video showed the driver of a truck swerve into oncoming lanes of traffic. Trooper Michael Shawn Ellis was behind the truck when the order was given to get the driver stopped.The video shows the patrol car colliding with the truck at speeds of more than 100 mph. Both vehicles crashed, and as the truck rolled it catapulted Trooper Ellis’s patrol car through the air, where it snapped a utility pole. Both vehicles came to rest upside down.Police said the driver of the truck, Justin Battenfield, 34, died from his injuries.Trooper Ellis was treated and released from the hospital and is home recovering from his injuries.Citing the ongoing investigation, a State Police spokesperson would not speculate on why Battenfield would not stop for police and the spokesperson would not comment whether or not the pursuit should have been terminated.According to State Police policy, officers should exercise discretion in deciding whether to initiate a pursuit. The decision to terminate a pursuit can be made by the primary unit or ordered by a supervisor at any time during the pursuit.Watch the video above to see the high-speed chase.

Cruiser dash camera video from Arkansas State Police shows a high-speed pursuit that ended with both vehicles crashing.

Advertisement

Arkansas State Police took over a chase around 6:30 a.m. April 10 after reports of a truck driving erratically.

The chase had been underway for approximately 17 minutes when troopers took the lead. The entire pursuit lasted approximately 30 minutes.

Dash camera video showed the driver of a truck swerve into oncoming lanes of traffic. Trooper Michael Shawn Ellis was behind the truck when the order was given to get the driver stopped.

The video shows the patrol car colliding with the truck at speeds of more than 100 mph. Both vehicles crashed, and as the truck rolled it catapulted Trooper Ellis’s patrol car through the air, where it snapped a utility pole. Both vehicles came to rest upside down.

Police said the driver of the truck, Justin Battenfield, 34, died from his injuries.

Trooper Ellis was treated and released from the hospital and is home recovering from his injuries.

Citing the ongoing investigation, a State Police spokesperson would not speculate on why Battenfield would not stop for police and the spokesperson would not comment whether or not the pursuit should have been terminated.

According to State Police policy, officers should exercise discretion in deciding whether to initiate a pursuit. The decision to terminate a pursuit can be made by the primary unit or ordered by a supervisor at any time during the pursuit.

Watch the video above to see the high-speed chase.