BENTONVILLE -- A diversion agreement entered Monday has resolved Johnnie Hunt Jr.'s criminal case.
Hunt, 57, was charged with aggravated assault, a Class D felony punishable with up to six years in prison. He's the son of the late J.B. Hunt, founder of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in Lowell. He also is a member of the company's board, according to its proxy statement.
Hunt appeared in court Monday morning.
Hunt was arrested June 3 after another motorist hit Hunt's vehicle and left the scene. Hunt was accused of following the motorist's pickup and using his Cadillac Escalade to block the driver's side door of the pickup to prevent the driver from leaving, according to the reports.
The felony charge will be dismissed if Hunt abides by the terms of the diversion agreement. Hunt wasn't required to plead guilty to the charge.
Hunt can't commit any other criminal acts as a condition of the diversion agreement. Circuit Judge Robin Green accepted the diversion order. A review hearing is set 8 a.m. Aug. 1, according to the diversion order.
Hunt also must pay $3,542 to Rogers to replace a street light damaged during the incident, according to the diversion order.
The diversion agreement was reached between W.H. Taylor, Hunt's attorney, and Jason Barrett, special prosecutor appointed to the case. Nathan Smith, Benton County prosecutor, recused from the case because Hunt contacted Smith via text messages after the incident.
Rogers police received a call at 7:33 a.m. June 3 about a vehicle collision. One of the vehicles left the scene, according to court documents. A dispatcher later informed officer the two vehicles -- a Cadillac Escalade and black pickup -- were stopped at an intersection, according to court documents.
Omar Salinas-Hurtado, 21, of Rogers told police he was driving the black pickup. He turned onto North Eighth Street and into the path of the Escalade. Salinas-Hurtado said he felt an impact, but he didn't stop, and the Escalade began to follow him. Salinas-Hurtado said he was making a turn on Walnut Street when he saw the Escalade turn. It collided with the driver's side of his vehicle, according to court documents.
Hunt stated in a police report a pickup hit his Escalade and then left the scene. He followed it to Walnut Street and, when he tried to get the license plate number, the driver of the pickup drove the vehicle toward the Escalade again.
Darrin Swenson, who was in Hunt's vehicle, told police he and Hunt followed Salinas-Hurtado's pickup to try and get the license plate number after the pickup hit the Escalade, according to police reports. Swenson said they lost the pickup, but saw it again on Walnut Street and the pickup came at them a second time, according to police reports.
The Escalade blocked the driver's side door of Salinas-Hurtado's pickup. Hunt and Swenson went to the passenger door to prevent Salinas-Hurtado from leaving the scene, reports said.
Police arrived and Hunt was arrested in connection with aggravated assault. Salinas-Hurtado was arrested in connection with leaving the scene of an accident, a misdemeanor. Salinas-Hurtado's case is set for trial at 10:30 a.m. Feb. 10 in Rogers District Court.
Hunt filed a lawsuit against Salinas-Hurtado. The case later was dismissed at Hunt's request.
Salinas-Hurtado agreed with diversion agreement in the criminal case, according to the diversion order. Roxanne Blake, who represents Salinas-Hurtado, declined comment.
NW News on 02/02/2016