Woman hit by car among 3 killed in state road crashes

A Jacksonville woman died Friday night in a two-vehicle crash on Interstate 40 in Pulaski County, Arkansas State Police said.

Velma Elliot, age unknown, was standing outside her 1997 Ford that was stopped partially in the westbound, right lane of I-40 and partially on the emergency shoulder near mile marker 159, state police reported.

A 2006 Nissan merging from Arkansas 440 onto westbound I-40 hit the rear of Elliot's vehicle and then hit her, state police said. The crash occurred at 8:13 p.m. Friday.

A young passenger in Elliot's vehicle and the driver of the Nissan, Kevin Elrod, 37, of Cabot were not injured, state police reported.

Elsewhere, a Green Forest man died Friday afternoon in a one-vehicle crash in Carroll County, state police said.

William Owen Athey Jr., 42, was driving north on Arkansas 103 in a 2005 Ford when he lost control of the vehicle after entering a curve at a high rate of speed, state police reported.

The vehicle left the roadway, struck a tree, slid through a ditch and struck a fence before stopping, state police said. The crash occurred at 5:19 p.m. Friday.

State police also reported Saturday that a Blytheville woman died Tuesday in a one-vehicle crash in Mississippi County.

Jessica Stokes, 26, was driving south on Mississippi County Road 599 in a 2003 Ford van when the van ran off the side of a bridge and flipped into a ditch full of water, state police said. The crash occurred at 2:41 p.m. Tuesday.

Stokes was pronounced dead at the scene, according to state police.

The roads were clear at the time of all three crashes, state police said.

Metro on 03/08/2015

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