1 driver, 2 passengers die in 3 rollover wrecks

At least three people died in traffic crashes since Sunday, authorities said.

A 19-year-old man was killed when the truck he was riding in spun out on a wet highway and rolled over into a ditch in Prairie County, authorities said.

The 2010 Freightliner was traveling east on Arkansas 38 shortly before 1 p.m. Monday about 2 miles east of Hickory Plains when it hydroplaned, Arkansas State Police wrote in a preliminary report.

The vehicle spun around into the westbound lane, ran into a ditch and rolled over, the report said.

[FATAL WRECKS: Complete coverage of deadly crashes in Arkansas]

A passenger, Weston Chapman of Cabot, suffered fatal injuries, police said.

The driver, identified as Terry Cathy, 59, of Cabot, also was hurt, though the report didn't detail the extent of the injuries.

A 28-year-old woman was killed when she was thrown from her pickup in Garland County in a wreck that wasn't reported for hours Sunday, police said.

The 1996 GMC pickup was heading south in the 200 block of Treasure Isle Road west of Hot Springs around 12:15 a.m., according to an state police report. The pickup left the road and overturned, throwing out the driver, Jordyn Ashley Melancen of Hot Springs, police said.

Rain was falling and the road was slick at the time of the wreck, police said.

The wreck was reported to the Garland County sheriff's office by a passer-by around 9:20 a.m., said spokesman Sgt. John Schroeder. The car had traveled into a ditch off the roadway, he said.

Melancen was pronounced dead after authorities responded and summoned the county coroner.

A 24-year-old passenger was killed and a driver was injured when the car they were traveling in overturned Sunday night in Cross County, police said.

Janie Merrell of Cherry Valley was riding in a 2010 Kia Rio east on Arkansas 364 west of Vanndale around 8:40 p.m., according to a state police report.

As the Kia rounded a curve, it overturned and Merrell was killed, police said.

The driver, Jacob Williams, 27, of Wynne, was injured and taken to Regional One Health in Memphis, authorities said.

Conditions were reported by police as clear and dry at the time.

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Metro on 08/16/2017

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