LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A Little Rock man was sentenced on Friday after pleading guilty to first-degree murder after a September 2024 deadly crash.
The court sentenced 26-year-old Anthony B. Smith to 25 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections. Smith killed 27-year-old Clifford James Griffin of Maumelle in a head-on collision while trying to flee from police in a high-speed pursuit on Sept. 19, 2024.
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Officials said it was 2:45 a.m. when Benton police asked for Arkansas State Police assistance as Smith fled from them eastbound on the interstate. The ensuing pursuit had Smith driving at over 125 mph, swerving and narrowly missing numerous other cars and trucks on the road up Interstate 30 and entering Interstate 430 going the wrong way, officials said.
A trooper attempted to use a tactical vehicle intervention to stop Smith before he entered 430, but he was able to get away, officials said. Shortly after entering 430, officials said Smith hit Griffin head-on.
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The 25-year sentence will run consecutively to the 10-year sentence assigned to Smith in Saline County. It will be followed by five years of supervised release…