Arkansas father rushing his sick child to hospital won’t face charges after officer rammed into his car | Arkansas

An Arkansas father speeding while transporting his sick child to the hospital will not face charges after a state trooper used a vehicle ramming technique known as a pit maneuver to stop his vehicle, authorities said.

Authorities said they ruled out charges against the father, identified as Dillon Hess, who was speeding while transporting his son to the hospital for emergency medical treatment after suffering an allergic reaction, as first reported by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Arkansas State Police said their officer, Amber Cass, was unaware of the emergency Hess’ son was in. And the agency’s director, Col. Mike Hagar, said in a news release that the case “highlights the importance of communication when it is necessary to transport a person in a medical emergency in a private vehicle, which happens regularly throughout Arkansas.”

Cass encountered Hess while driving his Jeep Cherokee on Interstate 630 near downtown Little Rock — Arkansas’ capital — on Feb. 20, state police said. Hess’ wife, Kristen, and sons, ages one and three, were passengers in the vehicle. The sick child was then taken to hospital by ambulance.

The video shows how Cass’ patrol cruiser struck Hess’ side fender after reaching speeds of 70 mph in a 60 mph zone. The contact revved his Jeep. She then used her car to pin the Jeep – which had its hazard lights on – against a concrete barrier in the center of the highway.

Hess then got out of the Jeep and Cass can be seen in a window reflection approaching him with her service pistol drawn.

“You have to stop – you can’t keep driving,” Cass can be heard saying on the video as she handcuffs him. She told him he could have gotten to the hospital faster if he had stopped. “Now you have a felony charge,” Cass says.

State Police spokesman Nick Genty said drivers transporting people to the hospital in an emergency should always call 911, notify the dispatcher and identify their vehicle, destination and route.

In Cass’ report, she explained that her decision to intentionally spin Hess’ vehicle was a result of her not knowing his intentions. She also noted that he was approaching an area with heavier traffic.

“Fleeing in a vehicle is considered an inherently dangerous crime (by the courts), regardless of the speed involved,” Cass wrote in the report.

The maneuver Cass used is known as tactical vehicle intervention. Also called a precision immobilization (Pit) technique, it involves pushing the rear of a vehicle during a police pursuit to one side, causing it to turn onto its side.

It’s often the climax of police chases, filmed by news helicopters, that local TV stations turn to, accompanied by expert commentary on the technique — and whether it’s appropriate in built-up neighborhoods and how quickly.

This is the second time this year that Arkansas State Police have been required to explain a trooper’s use of the Pit Technique. After the previous incident, a police officer was fired for crashing into the wrong car, which itself is a repeat of an incident that occurred in 2023.

The Democrat-Gazette reported that state troopers were involved in 432 chases in 2025, up from 553 in 2024 and 620 in 2023. But, the news outlet reported, pit driving is on the rise, with ramming used 225 times last year — or in 52% of chases, up from 29% before 2023.

The state’s Office of Professional Standards is currently investigating Cass’ actions.