Three people were killed when a vehicle linked to a police pursuit left a highway in Hot Spring County and caught on fire Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.
The single-vehicle crash happened at 2:12 p.m. on U.S. 270 when the driver of a 2013 Ford Fusion lost control of the vehicle in a curve near U.S. 67, according to an Arkansas State Police report.
The vehicle then traveled through the intersection and off the highway's south side before striking a tree.
Authorities said the tree fell on top of the car, sparking a fire that killed three people inside. They are all listed as "John Doe" in the report.
State police spokesman Bill Sadler said the car was linked to a pursuit that day that spanned Grant and Hot Spring counties, but declined to provide additional information regarding the chase.
“Whether the crash was the result of a pursuit is only one part of the investigation,” Sadler said in a statement.
[FATAL WRECKS: Complete coverage of deadly crashes across Arkansas so far this year]
Sadler directed all questions regarding the pursuit to sheriff’s offices in those counties, adding that his agency was not involved in that part of the investigation. Attempts to reach either sheriff’s office were not successful Wednesday afternoon.
Police said in the report that the three bodies were sent to the state Crime Laboratory.
Travel conditions at the time were described in the report as clear and dry.
The deaths marked the 488th, 489th and 490th fatalities on an Arkansas road so far this year, according to preliminary figures.