6 people killed in state road accidents, authorities say

At least six people have died in Arkansas road accidents since Wednesday, authorities said.

A 41-year-old Searcy man who was walking along Interstate 530 early Friday was killed after he was hit by two vehicles, including one that left the scene, Arkansas State Police said.

Michael Coates was walking near White Hall in Jefferson County about 1:15 a.m. when he was hit by a southbound vehicle that then left the scene, according to a preliminary state police report.

Coates was then hit by a southbound 2013 Buick, police said.

State police spokesman Bill Sadler said the agency's Criminal Investigation Division was trying to determine the make and model of the first vehicle.

Coates was killed, and his body was taken to the Jefferson County coroner's office, according to the report.

A 46-year-old Combs man died after the car he was driving veered off a state highway and hit a tree early Friday, authorities said.

It happened shortly before 12:40 a.m. as Charles Hime drove a Chevrolet Impala east on Arkansas 16 near Combs, according to a state police report.

The Impala "crossed the roadway," hit a tree and overturned, state police wrote. Himes suffered fatal injuries.

A minor was killed and another was injured when the sport utility vehicle they were in ran off a road in White County and struck a tree early Thursday, according to a state police report.

A 2016 Ford Explorer was traveling west on Blackjack Mountain Road in Floyd when it veered off the road and hit a tree around 12:30 a.m., authorities said.

The male driver, whose name and age weren't listed in the report, suffered fatal injuries.

A female passenger, also a minor, was injured and taken to Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock, state police said.

Two Arkansas men were killed and another was hurt Wednesday in a three-car collision on a state highway in Drew County, state police said.

The wreck happened at 5:30 p.m. on Arkansas 138 in Monticello, according to a preliminary state police report.

Darren White, 28, of Monticello was driving a 2006 Cadillac west when the vehicle crossed the centerline and hit two eastbound vehicles, a 1993 Dodge and a 1994 Toyota, state police wrote.

White suffered fatal injuries. The Dodge driver, Sancheze Watkins, 25, of Parkdale, also was killed in the collision. State police said the Toyota driver, 51-year-old David Swain of Monticello, was injured.

A 74-year-old McNeil man died Wednesday when he was ejected from an SUV that veered off a Nevada County road and hit a tree, authorities said.

King Lockhart was driving east on County Road 131 near Rosston at 1:15 p.m. when he lost control of his 2001 Chevrolet Blazer on a curve, according to a state police report.

Police said the SUV traveled off the north side of the road, hit a tree and rolled onto its side.

Lockhart was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. A passenger, James Lockhart, 28, of Magnolia, was injured in the wreck, the report said.

The weather was clear and roads were dry at the time of all the crashes, state police reported.

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Metro on 07/21/2018

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