Man gets 20 years for assault; rammed wife's car with truck

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A Poplar Bluff man was sentenced Thursday to 20 years in prison Thursday after pleading guilty to seriously injuring his then-estranged wife by ramming her car with his truck on Vine Street in 2009.

Aaron Ray Eldridge pleaded guilty to felony first-degree assault and the unclassified felony of armed criminal action before Presiding Circuit Judge Michael Pritchett, according to Butler County Prosecuting Attorney Kevin Barbour.

The 37-year-old entered his plea during what was supposed to be a motion hearing in preparation for his two-day trial, which was slated to begin Wednesday. Eldridge was to stand trial on the assault and armed criminal action charges, as well as the felony unlawful possession of a weapon.

"I had made them an offer of a cap of 25 years on a plea," Barbour said. " … They got in the neighborhood of 20 years. Twenty, that was close … too close to risk a jury trial. … You never know with a jury trial."

The defense, Barbour said, had brought in a mental-health expert from Pennsylvania to offer evidence in support of a mental disease or defect.

Barbour said Eldridge's attorney had "floated that 20-year sentence the last time we were in court, they approached me about it."

At that time, Barbour said, he needed to speak to his victim, Eldridge's now ex-wife, Crystal.

While the "victim doesn't dictate, I am aware of their feelings and how they feel about [a plea]," Barbour said. "I spent time talking to her.

" … She would have had to relive the whole thing [at trial]. She was OK with it. That's how it ended up."

After accepting Eldridge's plea, Pritchett followed Barbour's recommendation in sentencing Eldridge to 10 years in prison on the assault charge and 20 years for armed criminal action.

Pritchett ordered the sentences to run concurrently, as well as to a 60-month federal sentence Eldridge already is serving. The federal sentence stems from Eldridge, who is a felon, pulling a rifle on his then- estranged wife during the 2009 incident.

Federal authorities, Barbour said, have a detainer on Eldridge, and he will be returned to their custody, then "he'll be brought back to the state" prison system.

According to the state sentencing guidelines, Barbour said, Eldridge likely will serve about 60 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.

Eldridge was charged in connection with an Oct. 5, 2009, incident, which left his then wife, Crystal Eldridge, with serious injuries.

According to earlier reports, Aaron Eldridge and his wife had separated a few days earlier, and he saw her driving her vehicle toward him on Vine Street at about 11:15 a.m. Aaron Eldridge, authorities reported at the time, rammed Crystal Eldridge's vehicle, knocking it on the sidewalk on the south side of the Smith & Company building at Ninth and Vine streets.

After the collision, Aaron Eldridge exited his truck, pulled his wife out of her car and began striking her with his fists. Aaron Eldridge then went back to his vehicle and retrieved a rifle. As he started to walk back toward Crystal Eldridge with the firearm, his father, Lonny Eldridge, took the firearm away from him.

At that point, Aaron Eldridge reportedly drove away from the scene in his vehicle. Officers in Ripley County subsequently spotted a vehicle matching the description of Aaron Eldridge's truck westbound on Highway 160 toward Doniphan, Mo., at what was described as a high rate of speed, according to earlier reports.

He eventually struck an oncoming tractor-trailer after refusing to pull over, and was arrested.

Pertinent address:

Poplar Bluff, MO

Doniphan, MO