Jacksonville man dies in truck wreck

A Jacksonville man who died in a car wreck Sunday is accused of attempting to steal a trailer shortly before the crash, according to the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office.

The sheriff's office responded to a single-vehicle accident at the intersection of West Cleland Road and Jack Duncan Road about 4:30 a.m. A deputy discovered a broken utility pole and followed tire tracks to a 1995 GMC pickup lying on its side in the woods. Larry Gene Simpson, 61, was found dead.

According to a preliminary accident report from Arkansas State Police, Simpson was driving west on West Cleland Road at a high speed. Near the intersection of Jack Duncan Road, Simpson missed a curve in the road and struck a utility pole, state police said.

The truck crossed Jack Duncan Road and hit a tree, and Simpson was ejected.

Deputies spoke to a witness, John Poppa, who said he had seen Simpson and another man attempting to steal a trailer about 3 miles away from the crash at 3119 East Cleland Road. Poppa told deputies that he confronted the men, and they got into a GMC pickup and fled west. He attempted to follow the truck, but it was going more than 100 miles per hour, he told deputies.

According to a sheriff's office report, the other man was not at the crash site.

Another fatal wreck occurred Sunday morning east of Fayetteville, state police reported.

Michelle J. Chickillo, 48, of Fayetteville, was driving a 2001 Ford pickup south on Round Mountain Road about 8 a.m. State police said Chickillo's truck drifted off the east side of the road and struck a tree.

Chickillo was transported to Washington Regional Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

According to a preliminary accident report, conditions were overcast and roads were wet at the time of the wreck.

Metro on 01/27/2015

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