Follow Arkansas State Police on 136 MPH pursuit of Mustang as it speeds through town & into woods

*Please let us know what you think of the new minimap feature* The driver, Michael Rutledge, was originally given a $50,000 bond. After signing an Affidavit of Indigency and listing himself as "homeless," his bond was lowered to $25,000. Trooper's Report: On July 9, 2026, while patrolling Arkansas State Highway 122 in Newark, I observed a black Ford Mustang hesitate at the intersection of Parakeet Road and S.H. 122 upon noticing my patrol vehicle. After briefly repositioning on Front Street, I saw the Mustang accelerate rapidly onto S.H. 122 and turn westbound onto 3rd Street, immediately running a stop sign. I activated emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop, but the driver fled, running multiple stop signs and accelerating through Newark city streets. I notified dispatch of the pursuit. A TVI (tactical vehicle intervention) attempt on 6th Street was unsuccessful, and the suspect continued south on S.H. 122, reaching speeds of approximately 136 mph. The vehicle ran the intersection at S.H. 69 at roughly 120 mph. Throughout the pursuit, the Mustang lost multiple body parts on the highway due to impacts with roadway angles and terrain. A second TVI attempt on S.H. 122 was unsuccessful due to a shallow angle. Approaching the White River Bridge, the suspect attempted to pass traffic on the right shoulder due to traffic both directions and drove down an embankment into large rocks, bringing the vehicle to a stop. The driver and two passengers fled on foot into a wood line along the river. Arkansas State Police and Independence County Sheriff’s Office personnel established an effective perimeter. After a short manhunt covering approximately one mile, all three suspects were located and taken into custody without further incident. Post-arrest, two suspects falsely claimed that two additional armed subjects were still at large. This was later determined to be fabricated to mislead officers and prolong scene clearing. Charge Breakdown Driver Fleeing – Vehicle, Exceeding Speed Limit 5-54-125(d)(2) Fleeing – On Foot 5-54-125(c) Aggravated Assault 5-13-204 Fail to Stop or Yield 27-51-601 No Driver License / Expired 27-16-602 Obstructing Governmental Operations 5-54-102 Hindering Apprehension or Prosecution 5-54-105 Careless and Prohibited Driving 27-51-104 Improper Passing on Right 27-51-308 No Seatbelt 27-37-702 Littering – 1st Offense 8-6-406 Passenger 1 – Evers Obstructing Governmental Operations 5-54-102 No Seatbelt 27-37-702 Hindering Apprehension or Prosecution 5-54-105 Fleeing – On Foot 5-54-125(c) Passenger 2 – Galloway Fleeing – On Foot 5-54-125(c)