Man who fled from authorities dies in 4-vehicle crash after driving wrong way on I-40, state police say

A man who fled from authorities Friday during a traffic stop on Interstate 40 later died in a four-vehicle crash that injured at least four other people, Arkansas State Police said.

According to a news release from the agency, a trooper stopped a late-model Chrysler sedan shortly after 10:30 a.m. in Lonoke County, and the driver eventually fled, heading east along the interstate.

Authorities said they chased the car until it drove out of sight. Nearly an hour later, the vehicle was spotted traveling east in the westbound lanes of the interstate, the release states.

The head-on collision involving four vehicles happened about 11:30 a.m. about 16 miles west of Forrest City in St. Francis County, state police said.

The Chrysler struck a westbound International truck and a GMC Sierra near the 257 mile marker, according to a preliminary crash report. A fourth vehicle in the vicinity, a Lincoln MKZ, then struck an impact cushion device, the state police report said, noting that it was unclear whether the Chrysler had hit the Lincoln.

The report identified the Chrysler’s driver as Russell Johnson, 39, of Sarasota, Fla. State police said he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Injured in the crash were GMC Sierra driver Ronald Fisher, 70, of Friendship, Tenn., Nathan Davis, 27, the driver of the Lincoln, and Allie Davis, 26, and Macy Aycock, 22, passengers in the Lincoln, all of Southaven, Miss.

No one from the International truck was listed as hurt.

At least 218 people have died on Arkansas roads so far this year, preliminary data show.

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