An Arkansas man pleaded no contest Wednesday to two counts of felony carjacking during a series of crimes last September.

James David Dewitte, 37, also pleaded no contest to one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of a drug during the Sept. 29 incident. His sentence will total six years and eight months in state prison, according to District Attorney Jill Ravitch.

The incidents began with Dewitte a passenger in a vehicle where he began punching the driver, who lost control of the car and crashed near the intersection of Highway 12 and Farmer’s Lane.

Dewitte continued the beating after the crash, and a truck driver pulled over and tried to stop the fight. Dewitte fled and attempted to drive away with the good Samaritan’s pickup. The truck driver began fighting with DeWitte and in the tussle the truck slammed into a third vehicle.

Thirty minutes later, Dewitte stole an unattended truck from a construction site on Montgomery Drive. The truck’s owner and a friend followed Dewitte and were later successful in getting him out the truck. Dewitte fled the scene but was arrested by police a short time later.

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