Hallsville Man Arrested After Crashing into Boone County Sheriff’s Patrol Vehicle

A 45-year-old Hallsville man was arrested after crashing his pickup into a Boone County Sheriff’s Department patrol vehicle about 11:45pm Monday. The crash occurred on Route B, approximately three miles south of Hallsville. The suspect Dustin Ritchie was arrested for failure to stop for a stop sign, operating a motor vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner involving an accident, and DWI with physical injury to law enforcement or emergency personnel.

The dash camera in the patrol vehicle and the initial investigation revealed Ritchie drove eastbound on East Mount Zion Church Road, west of Route B, just prior to the crash. Ritchie failed to stop for the posted stop sign at Route B, crossed Route B, and then turned southbound on the northbound shoulder of Route B. Ritchie then swerved into the northbound lane of Route B, just south of East Mount Zion Church Road. The fully marked Boone County Sheriff’s Department patrol vehicle traveled northbound on Route B, approaching East Mount Zion Church Road as Ritchie swerved into the northbound lane. The deputy observed the pickup swerving into the northbound lane and took evasive action to avoid a head-on collision, but Ritchie’s pickup still crashed into the side of the deputy’s patrol vehicle. The front passenger corner of the pickup collided with the passenger side of the patrol vehicle. Both vehicles sustained moderate to heavy damage. The 32-year-old deputy involved in the crash received minor injuries. Ritchie sustained injuries during a previous incident, so deputies could not determine the extent of his injuries related to the crash.