A Lonoke County woman faces a charge of negligent homicide in a wreck that left a four-wheeler rider dead, records show.
Melissa Huett, 36, of Austin is being held on the Class A misdemeanor charge at the Lonoke County jail in lieu of $1,000 bond, according to an online inmate roster.
The crash happened about 6:20 p.m. on May 15 when 89-year-old Bennie Tucker of Austin was struck by a westbound Ford Explorer that was backing out of a driveway on Arkansas 319, according to a report.
The Arkansas State Police said the SUV and Honda ATV slid into eastbound lanes on the highway, and Tucker was found in front of the four-wheeler. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
A state trooper noted in an affidavit, filed Tuesday in Lonoke County Circuit Court, that Huett smelled of alcohol at the scene. Huett denied that she had been drinking that evening, according to authorities.
Testing of blood sent to the state Crime Laboratory showed that Huett had a blood-alcohol level of 0.058. She also tested positive for cannabinoids, according to reports.
State Desk on 12/09/2016