A mechanical problem sent a dump truck into the shoulder of an Arkansas interstate in Pulaski County and caused the vehicle to catch fire, leaving its driver dead Tuesday, state police said.
The crash happened around 9 a.m. as Samuel Jackson Stoops, 71, of Redfield was traveling north on Interstate 530 near Ironton, which is just south of Little Rock, according to a preliminary report.
The dump truck that Stoops was driving caught fire because of a mechanical issue, at which point the driver lost control, authorities said.
Police noted that the vehicle then traveled off the interstate’s east shoulder and struck several trees before becoming engulfed in flames.
Stoops was able to exit the dump truck but died as a result of injuries in the crash, the report states.
Travel conditions at the time of the crash were listed as clear and dry.
Stoops’ death was one of at least 250 recorded by state police so far this year on Arkansas roads, according to preliminary data.
