A wreck on Interstate 40 Friday in east Arkansas involving a semi truck and six other vehicles left a 68-year-old man dead and 10 others injured, according to Arkansas State Police.
In a preliminary report released Monday, the agency said the crash happened at 4:45 p.m. near Forrest City in the westbound lanes of I-40 in St. Francis County.
A tractor-trailer failed to stop behind a 2006 Ford driven by David White of Forrest City that had slowed down as it approached a previous accident on the interstate, state police said.
The impact caused a chain reaction involving five other vehicles on the highway, according to authorities.
[FATAL WRECKS: Complete coverage of deadly crashes in Arkansas]
White was killed as result of the crash, the report noted. Two passengers in the Ford — Deann Rivera, 52, of Benton and Donna Cullum, 48, of Benton — were reported injured.
Also injured in the wreck were two minors; Deenie Cress, 52, of Frisco, Texas; Katie Montgomery, 49, of Frisco, Texas; Michelle Jones, 39, of Forrest City; Amber Kennedy, 29, of Palestine; Regina White, 32, of Forrest City; and Noe Cadena, 71, of Edinburg, Texas.
State police identified Cadena as the driver of the tractor-trailer.
The westbound highway was closed for hours because of the crash, causing a lengthy backup on the interstate. The highway department said the lanes reopened shortly before 9 p.m.
Travel conditions at the time of the crash were described in the report as clear and dry.
In 2016, at least 544 fatalities involving wrecks on Arkansas roads were recorded, according to preliminary figures.