Teen to serve year for pursuit

Published 11:37 am Friday, July 20, 2018

An Owensboro teen may serve a year in prison after pleading guilty to leading police on a pursuit in February.

Arthur Bangs, 18, was arrested Feb. 26 after damaging three Winchester Police cruisers during the cross-town pursuit.

Tuesday in Clark Circuit Court, Bangs pleaded guilty to first-degree fleeing or evading police, first-degree criminal mischief and two counts of first-degree wanton endangerment.

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Prosecutors recommended he serve one year on each count, to be run concurrently.

Charges of no operator’s license and failure to illuminate headlamps were dismissed.

Bangs is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 16.

Police said officers attempted to stop a vehicle without headlights around 12:51 a.m. Feb. 26 on Lexington Avenue.

The driver instead accelerated and swerved at one cruiser. The driver then ran over stop sticks, which damaged the car’s tires, but continued through a red light. The vehicle finally stopped near Applebee’s after colliding with a police cruiser.

Bangs later told police he had been awake for four days and had taken meth the day before.

He said he was scared to stop for officers.

About Fred Petke

Fred Petke is a reporter for The Winchester Sun, the Jessamine Journal and the State Journal. His beats include cops, courts, fire, public records, city and county government and other news. To contact Fred, email fred.petke@bluegrassnewsmedia.com or call 859-759-0051.

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