JONESBORO, Ark. — A tragic accident in Jonesboro claimed the lives of two young people Sunday afternoon after a police pursuit ended in a fatal motorcycle crash.

According to the Jonesboro Police Department, the incident began around 3:53 p.m. on June 1, 2025, when an officer attempted to stop a motorcycle near Nettleton Circle and Wilmar. The operator, later identified as 28-year-old Thomas J. Haney, failed to comply, continuing onto Gee Street and running multiple red lights. At one point, the officer ended the pursuit due to safety concerns.

Moments later, dispatchers received reports of a crash at the intersection of Flint and Nettleton. Investigators say the motorcycle, carrying Haney and passenger 20-year-old Willow Searcy, entered the intersection against a red light and collided with a vehicle. Both Haney and Searcy, who was pregnant, were thrown from the motorcycle and pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities confirmed that the car’s driver survived the crash and is cooperating with the investigation.

The heartbreaking loss of two young lives — including the unborn child — has left family, friends, and the Jonesboro community in mourning. Officials have stressed the dangers of fleeing from traffic stops, underscoring that the decision to run a light had devastating consequences.

The Arkansas State Police are assisting with the investigation. Funeral arrangements for Haney and Searcy are pending.