Alexander Rouse (Photo courtesy of Izard County Sheriff’s Office)
An area man is charged with manslaughter after allegedly driving off the road at a high rate of speed with another male hanging on to the driver door and the steering wheel. Thirty-year-old Alexander Rouse is in the Izard County Detention Center on another felony count of leaving the scene of an accident resulting in the death or personal injury of another and a count of driving while intoxicated. The charges come after Corey Ferguson was pronounced dead at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock.
According to the Izard County Sheriff’s Office, authorities were notified Thursday of an accident with an injury. Deputies arrived and located Ferguson in a roadside ditch in front of a residence on Hawk Lane in Horseshoe Bend, and he was flown by air ambulance to UAMS.
A pair of witnesses told the deputies Ferguson and the driver of the vehicle, identified as Rouse, were involved in a physical altercation with Rouse in the driver’s seat and Ferguson standing outside of the vehicle. The altercation reportedly occurred through the open driver’s door window.
Witnesses claimed Ferguson, Rouse and a female were traveling in Ferguson’s vehicle. Ferguson was reportedly dropped off at a Horseshoe Bend residence, and he told Rouse he could drive the vehicle around for a while and later return to the residence. When Rouse and the female did not return at the agreed time, Ferguson and two other females got into another vehicle and spotted them on Hawk Lane.
Witnesss claim an altercation between Ferguson and Rouse ensued. Rouse allegedly accelerated the vehicle while Ferguson was holding on to the steering wheel and the driver door. Witnesses stated the vehicle traveled at a high rate of speed off of the roadway into the ditch, subsequently striking a mailbox and two driveway culverts. Rouse reportedly continued driving for nearly 400 yards before stopping the vehicle and fleeing on foot. Ferguson was found in a ditch, and an occupant of a nearby residence came outside, called 911, and began to help administer medical aide to Ferguson.
Law enforcement gained information that Rouse had fled to a residence located on Arkansas Highway 354 after fleeing from the accident scene. An investigator and a deputy traveled to the residence and took Rouse into custody.
Rouse reportedly confessed during an interview to using methamphetamine intravenously approximately 45 minutes prior to the altercation with Ferguson. He also allegedly intravenously used methamphetamine approximately six times in the 24 hours prior to the incident. Rouse reportedly admitted to the altercation and to accelerating at a high rate of speed.
Jail logs show Rouse is also facing a count of failure to appear, and he is charged as a habitual offender. Ferguson’s body has been submitted to the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory Medical Examiner’s Office in Little Rock.
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