Sheriff's drug dog captures man who fled accident scene

EUREKA SPRINGS -- Richard Christopher Dacheff, 36, of Harrison, was the subject of a foot chase Monday evening in Eureka Springs when he reportedly fled the scene of two accidents and was later captured in the Mill Hollow area when Ringo, the county drug dog, found him in the woods.

Dacheff reportedly told authorities he had consumed a half pint of whiskey before losing control of his vehicle around 8 p.m.

According to a police report, Dacheff was traveling west on U.S. Hwy. 62 when his Chevy truck struck a vacuum island at Auto Spa and a vehicle parked there.

Dacheff left the scene of that accident, police say, and struck another vehicle near the Apple Blossum Inn, where he exited the truck and fled into the woods.

The victim, police say, was interviewed at the hospital, where she said she had been diagnosed with a slight concussion, a swollen face and possible bruised ribs.

According to police, the vehicle occupant at the car wash stated she was there to vacuum her car, she saw a red truck cross the grass, hit the vacuum island and her car on the driver's side, and her boyfriend assisted a male passenger out of the truck, who reportedly said "he's drunk," before running off himself.

He was not charged, police say, because he was a passenger and not responsible for the accidents.

Dacheff, on the other hand, was arrested for DWI 3, leaving the scene of an accident with injury (felony), leaving the scene of an accident, driving on a suspended driver's license due to DWI, reckless driving and no insurance.

Assisting Eureka Springs police with his arrest were four Carroll County Sheriff's Office deputies and their K-9 Ringo, and two Berryville officers.

Dacheff remains incarcerated in the Carroll County Detention Center, held on a $50,000 bond for his DWI 3 arrest, plus other bonds relating to: failure to appear warrants out of Carroll County and Berryville; a warrant hold out of Boone County; and, a white warrant hold, jail officials say.