3 road crashes fatal to 3; 6 others hurt

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Three people died in car accidents Thursday and early Friday, according to Arkansas State Police.

A teenage boy died Thursday in a one-vehicle accident on Arkansas 84. Sebastian Ratliff, 16, of New Hope, was driving east on Arkansas 84 near Umpire in Howard County at 9 p.m. when he veered into the westbound lane, and then overcorrected, left the road and struck an embankment.

One of the passengers, Jaime Garcia, 15, of Athens, was thrown from the vehicle, state police said. Garcia was taken to CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs, where he later died.

The driver and the other passenger, 14-year-old Khristian Ratliff of New Hope, were injured, according to police reports. Their conditions were not available Friday.

The second fatal accident occurred Thursday morning on U.S. 64 in Crawford County.

Rilla Leakey, 62, of Dyer was driving west on U.S. 64 about 7 a.m. when she crossed the centerline in a curve, state police said. Leakey overcorrected to avoid another vehicle; however, the front bumper of the oncoming vehicle struck the driver's side of Leakey's car.

Leakey was taken to Mercy Medical Center in Rogers, where she was pronounced dead, according to Arkansas State Police.

The driver of the other vehicle, Glenn Coldiron, 62, of Alma and his two passengers, Ira Gipson, 23, and Toby Crossland, 41, both of Van Buren, were all injured. Their conditions were unavailable on Friday.

An 18-year-old woman was killed in a head-on collision with a Mack truck early Friday, state police said.

Sophia Ascencio-Porter of Gentry was driving north on Arkansas 59 just south of Arkotex Road in Benton County about 4:30 a.m. Friday when she crossed the center turn lane, went into the southbound lanes and struck the Mack truck. The truck was driven by Richard Snell, 58, of Grove, Okla, according to police reports.

Ascencio-Porter was pronounced dead, and Snell was taken to Siloam Springs Regional Hospital.

Metro on 06/21/2014