State police: Crashes on Arkansas roads kill 4

Fatal wrecks in Arkansas
Fatal wrecks in Arkansas

Four people died in separate wrecks on Arkansas roads, including a Branson, Mo., man who was killed after crashing a Polaris Ranger Saturday afternoon, troopers said.

Eddie Griffin, 51, was driving the four-wheel drive off-road vehicle south around a curve on Carroll County 614 in Green Forest when he lost control while avoiding another vehicle shortly after 4:30 p.m., according to a preliminary crash report.

A 38-year-old Reed Springs, Mo., woman, who was a passenger on the Ranger, was injured in the wreck, troopers said.

Conditions were clear and dry at the time of the crash, the report says.

Two people died Friday in separate crashes on wet Arkansas roads, troopers said.

According to troopers, an 85-year-old Heber Springs man died following a single-vehicle wreck Friday morning on Interstate 49 in Winslow.

Burnalee Scott was driving a Cadillac south on I-49 when he lost control while going around a curve just before 9:30 a.m., according to the preliminary crash report, which described conditions as rainy and wet.

The Cadillac spun into the median, striking a concrete barrier twice. The vehicle then crossed both southbound lanes, left the roadway and went down a hillside. It struck three ditches before stopping in the third ditch, about 425 feet from the freeway, troopers said.

A 21-year-old Pottsville woman died after a crash hours later in Pope County, troopers said.

Chelsey Mullen was a passenger in a Dodge travelling east on Arkansas 105 shortly before 1 p.m., according to a separate preliminary crash report, which described conditions as rainy and wet.

The driver, a 25-year-old Pottsville man, lost control of the vehicle while going around a curve, troopers said. The car spun off the road, went up an embankment, struck a tree on its right-hand side and flipped over, according to the report.

On Sunday, a 43-year-old Forrest City woman died after a midday crash in Caldwell, troopers said.

Barbara Valadez was driving a Chevrolet Metro south on Arkansas 1 when the vehicle crossed oncoming traffic and left the road just before 12:15 p.m., according to a preliminary crash report.

The car hit a ditch and a culvert before flying into the air and landing in the ditch, troopers said.

Conditions were clear and dry, the crash report says.

At least 366 people have died in crashes on Arkansas roads so far this year, preliminary figures indicate.

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