Child, woman, biker die in wrecks on state roads

Three people died on Arkansas roadways Thursday, including an Alma motorcyclist in a two-vehicle wreck in Crawford County, Arkansas State Police said.

Richard Thomas Gaither, 55, of Alma was driving his 2009 Yamaha motorcycle east on Arkansas 162 when it collided with the left, rear wheel of a 2000 Chevrolet also traveling east on the highway, which was turning left onto Sunnyside Road, state police reported.

Gaither had been traveling behind an unknown vehicle that passed the Chevrolet on the right, state police said.

The wreck occurred just west of Kibler at 6:19 p.m. Thursday, according to state police.

The driver of the Chevrolet, Michaella Hughes, 35, of Van Buren, along with two minor passengers in her vehicle, were not injured in the wreck, state police reported.

Conditions were clear and the road was dry at the time of the accident, according to state police.

In Ouachita County on Thursday, state police said a minor passenger died in a utility task vehicle wreck north of Camden. The crash occurred at 5:34 p.m. Thursday.

A new law requires state police to redact the names and addresses of minors from accident reports that are made public.

State police said a 2014 Polaris utility task vehicle was traveling north on Arkansas 7 about two miles north of Camden when the driver lost control of the vehicle and it left the roadway and overturned. The driver and the minor passenger were both ejected.

The minor was pronounced dead at 6:27 p.m. Thursday at Ouachita County Medical Center in Camden, state police reported. The driver of the vehicle, Johnny Pennington, 41, of Camden, was injured and taken to the hospital.

Conditions were clear but the road was wet at the time of the wreck, state police said.

State police also said a Fayetteville woman died Thursday in a two-vehicle collision in Washington County.

Eline Thomas, 82, of Fayetteville was driving west on U.S. 62 in a 2003 Honda Civic when she attempted to make a left-hand turn onto Smokehouse Trail, state police reported.

A 2009 GMC Envoy traveling east on the highway struck the Honda in the passenger door, state police said. The wreck occurred at 7:57 a.m.

The driver of the GMC, Kristen Minz, 27, of Prairie Grove, was injured in the accident and taken to Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville, state police reported.

Metro on 05/02/2015

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