06/15/15  Last Weekend A Deadly One in Arkansas

There were two fatal motor vehicle crashes in Crittenden County, one in Lonoke County and another in Chicot County.

According to a report from the Arkansas State Police on Friday morning on I-55 north at the 3 mile marker, 22 year old Charles Chad Wilcox of Texarkana died in a two car collision.  The crash occurred on I-55 as a 2011 Dodge Q-15 driven by Wilcox traveling north on the interstate failed to see that a vehicle in front of him had stopped for road construction and made contact with a 2011 Volvo.  The driver of the Volvo wasn't identified. The injured were taken to a Memphis hospital.

The second fatality in Crittenden County occurred Friday afternoon. State police report 72 year old Edward Weatherall of Memphis died of his injuries when he entered the northbound exit ramp the wrong way and attempted to turn onto I-55 and was struck by another vehicle.  The driver of the other vehicle was not identified in the report.  The injured were taken to a Memphis Hospital. In both crashes the weather conditions were clear road conditions dry.

In Lonoke County early Friday morning Arkansas State Police report 27 year old Nikki L. Smith of East Liverpool, Ohio died in a motorcycle crash.  According to the report, Smith was a passenger on a 2004 Harley Davidson motorcycle that was northbound on John Hardin, South of Highway 5 in Lonoke County.  The motorcycle left the road, reentered the road and overturned.  The driver and passenger were thrown from the motorcycle.  Smith was pronounced dead at the scene.  The driver of the motorcycle, who was not identified in the report was treated at UAMS in Little Rock.  The accident was investigated by the Cabot Police Department.

Also on Friday afternoon, a 59 year old Greenville, Mississippi man died as the result of a three vehicle crash on state highway 82, three miles east of Lake Village.  According to a State Police report, two U-Hauls were traveling east on 82, when a 2006 Ford, driven by Ralph Jones of Greenville, heading west, crossed the center line and struck one of the  U-hauls and went into a spin striking the other U-Haul.  The drivers of the U-hauls were not identified.  The injured were taken to Chicot Memorial Hospital for treatment.  It was raining at the time of the crash at 4:45 Friday.