Fayetteville man pleads not guilty to first-degree murder following pursuit, fatal crash

Kyler Swaim
·2 min read
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — A Fayetteville man pleaded not guilty to a first-degree murder charge during his arraignment on Friday following a fatal crash in January, according to court documents.

Noah Cargill, 20, is also charged with a felon in possession of a firearm, fleeing, reckless driving, driving on a suspended or revoked driver’s license, speeding, operating a vehicle without insurance, careless driving, failure to stop or yield and running a red light

Fayetteville police responded to a crash in the area of N Rupple Road and W Wales Drive just before 3 p.m. on Jan. 13, according to a police report.

ASP informed FPD they had pursued a vehicle driven by Cargill that crashed head-on with another vehicle, killing the driver, later identified as David Pemberton, 58, of San Leandro, Calif.

A witness in the report said she saw Cargill’s vehicle when she was at a traffic light on N Rupple Road. She said he ran the red light at the intersection and if she had not waited three seconds, Cargill would have hit her vehicle.

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The report says police spoke with Cargill while he was in the hospital on Jan. 15. He told police he “thought he was being chased by someone who was ‘out to get him'” and did not know a police officer was trying to stop him.

ASP dashcam video revealed the trooper was trying to pull over Cargill after he was driving recklessly. The trooper turned his lights on and tried to initiate the traffic stop before Cargill fled.

The report says the trooper reached speeds of 64 mph and could not catch Cargill.

ASP: Keeping the public safe while pursing fleeing vehicles

Cargill then drove through a red light and an apartment complex parking lot at speeds of over 100 mph, according to the report.

The vehicle was out of sight of the dashcam when it struck Pemberton’s vehicle, the report said.

“Cargill’s driving showed an extreme indifference to the value of human life. It was a Saturday afternoon,” the detective said. “It should be noted the pursuit traveled through a residential neighborhood and one of the largest apartment complexes in Fayetteville.”

After the crash, officers found a loaded revolver in Cargill’s vehicle.

Cargill remains in the Washington County Jail on a $750,000 bond. He has a court date set for April 15.

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