Fifteen individuals lost their lives in fatal car crashes across the state of Arkansas last week, raising the number of highway casualties to 130 for the year.
That is 16 more highway deaths than were recorded in the same time period a year ago.
Accidents on April 2 resulted in the deaths of 79-year old Dorothy Fore of Gepp and Mark A. Bennett, 43, of Holly Grove.
Fore died in a two car accident five miles north of Allison when the 2011 Chevy Impala driven by her husband crossed the center line and collided with a 2008 Lexus.
Bennett died along a stretch of Hwy. 12 seventeen miles south of Holly Gove in Monroe County. Police said the 2006 Dodge Ram pick-up he was driving left the road and struck a ditch, overturning several times and ejecting the driver.
Monday claimed a single victim as 33-year old Amanda Lewis of McCrory was killed in a crash on Hwy. 17 north of Welden in Jackson County. Police say the 1997 Nissan Pathfinder she was driving sideswiped a 2002 Freightliner, then crashed into the rear axle of a 2001 Freightliner.
Two more accidents, one in Pulaski County and the other in Craighead were deadly for 53-year old Ray High neal and 27-year old Christopher E. Harrison on Tuesday.
Neal, of Little Rock, died when he was struck by an 18-wheel truck as he attempted to cross I-30 at the 133 mile marker in Pulaski County. Neal, of Corning, was traveling West on University Loop in Jonesboro on a Buell motorcycle and attempted to turn onto East Johnson when a 2012 GMC Terrain failed to yield resulting in a head-on collision.
A Lawrence County wreck on Wednesday resulted in the death of 35-year old Stephanie D. Hufford when the 2004 Grand Prix she was driving eastbound on Hwy. 115 in Jessup failed to negotiate a curve. Hufford, of Smithville, died of injuries sustained when she stuck tree.
Four deaths were recorded on Thursday in various parts of the state.
A one car accident on Fox Pass Cutoff in Garland County claimed 72-year old Terry J. Rickard of Hot Springs Village when the 2004 Honda Accord he was driving east left the road, hit a ditch and overturnd.
A Joneboro man was killed on Deer Lake Road in Craighead County at the junction of Nestle Road just outside the city limits of Jonesboro. The 2006 Chevrolet passenger car driven by 56-year old Keith Sprager, Jr. pulled into the path of an oncoming semi-truck.
In Crittenden County, a one car accident claimed 40-year old Earle resident Claudia Newsome. Newsome was eastbound on Highway 64B 1/2 mile from earle when she crossed the center line, over-corrected and left the roadway, striking a power pole.
Todd E, Johnson, 43, of Greenbrier also died on Thursday in a four-vehicle crash that occurred at the junction of U.S. Hwy. 65 North and Stanford Avenue in Faulkner County. The 2001 Dodge truck he was driving south was struck when a Mack truck veered into his lane to avoid a stopped vehicle.
In the lone accident last Friday, Karen S. Daniels, 53, of Sheridan perished in a Grant County crash on U.S. Hwy. 270 East. The 2005 Hyundai she was driving was traveling west when it crossed the center line and struck a two-ton GMC truck, The Hyundai left the road and overturned and Daniels was ejected.
On Saurday, Roger D, Turner, 36, of Benton died when the 201 Suzuki motorcycle he was driving east on 1-30 left the road and collided with a light pole at the 6th Street exit in Little Rock.
Reports from Sunday detailed the final three traffic deaths of the week in the state.
A 17-year old from St. George was driving a passenger car westbound on Diamond Valley Drive when she failed to yield at a stop sign at the intersection on state Route 18 in Fayetteville. Abbigayl Kraushaar’s vehicle was then hit on the driver side by a pickup truck traveling north on SR-18.
Marion Pruett, 56, of Paragould was in the 9000 block of Ark. Hwy. 135 two miles south of Lafe when the 2001 Hyundai she was driving failed to negotiate a curve and struck several trees.
Tracy E. Fuhrman, 59, of Little Rock was killed in Perry County on Ark. Hwy. 9 at the intersection of Ark. Hwy. 32 when the 2016 Toyota Scion he was driving was rear-ended by a 2014 Dodge Charger driven by a Conway man.
Thirty-three lives were claimed in January in vehicular accidents., with February and March crashes resulting in 40 and 42 deaths respectively. Eighteen deaths have been recorded since April 1
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
