Thirteen accidents in eight days claimed the lives of fifteen individuals on Arkansas roads and highways, pushing the state death toll to its highest death count since 2012.
The death of 27-year old Jessica Schwarz in a one car accident on Rogers Avenue in Fort Smith on Thursday (see related story on Inside Fort Smith) pushed the total number of Arkansas fatalities to 528 for the year, the highest count since 2012 when 559 died on state roadways.
The latest rash of Arkansas high deaths include:
-The death of an unidentified minor in a Thursday two-car accident on Bill Clinton Drive in Little Rock
- Craig Allen Spears, 58, of Bigelow, in a one car accident on State Highway 60 in Perry County
- Brenda Christopher, 66, of Russellville and Christopher Bryant, 43, of Carlilse at the junction of US Highway 64 and County Road in Clay County on Wednesday.
- Carolyn Oldner, 67 of Nashville in a two-car crash at mile marker 34 on I-30 in Hempstead County on Wednesday.
- Two unidentified females and an unidentified male in a head-on collision on US Highway 64 North of Sedgewick Road in Lawrence County. Investigation and identification is pending.
-Charles Ballegeer, 81, of Mansfield who died December 20 on US 71 at Caldwell Avenue in Mansfield in Scott County in a one-car accident.
-Stephen Carnathan, 43, of Jonesboro in a van/eighteen-wheeler accident in Jonesboro on
-Wanda Spickard, 61, of Pearcy who died in a four car accident in rural Garland County on December 17.
- Leigh Taylor, 57, of Fayetteville in a two-car incident on December 17 on State Highway 45 east of Fayetteville.
- Tederian Blair, 36 , of Blytheville in a two car crash December 20 on Interstate 55 at the 5 mile marker in Mississippi County.
- Oscar L. Caldwell, 74, of Friendship in a passenger car/Freightliner crash on US Highway 67 South at Midway Road in Hot Springs County.
-and Teresa E. Phillips, 31, of Fifty-Six who dies December 14 in a two-car encounter on State Highway 14 east of Cove Drive in Stone County near Mountain View.
Arkansas State Police say troopers will be out in full force on Interstate 40 during the busy holiday travel days this weekend and into next week. A press release from the ASP says troopers will make sure drivers are obeying traffic laws, especially the state’s law requiring seat belt use.
Dennis W. McCaslin
Dennis McCaslin has been a longtime news and sports reporter for several media outlets in the Fort Smith area. He has also been a well known radio personality and play-by-play announcer for several years prior to joining InsideFortSmith.Com. He is the voice of the ArklahomaSports High School Game of the Week. E-mail: dennis@greatplainsdigital.com
