At least three motorcyclists were killed in the past week in wrecks on Arkansas roads, and at least six other people have died in vehicle crashes since Wednesday, authorities said.
Junior Thompson of Newport died while riding his 2005 Harley-Davidson north on Arkansas 157 near Pleasant Plains at 4 a.m. last Saturday, according to a preliminary crash report from the Arkansas State Police.
Authorities said the 67-year-old lost control of the motorcycle in a left-hand curve of the highway -- near Brown Lake Road in Independence County -- and hit a patch of gravel, causing the bike to overturn on its left side.
In a separate report, state police said 19-year-old Jonathan Wilson of Jacksonville was traveling south on a 2005 Yamaha on Arkansas 5 when he lost control on a curve in Cleburne County, crossed the northbound lane and hit a culvert.
The wreck happened at 4:30 p.m. Thursday in Hopewell, the report states.
The crash was just a few hours from when Jason Clay Hulse, 38, of Siloam Springs was killed when he tried to pass a vehicle and lost control of his Victory motorcycle on Arkansas 112 in Tontitown.
On Thursday, two men were killed when a vehicle collided with a pickup hauling farm equipment, state police said.
The collision occurred just before 3 p.m. on U.S. 63 in the Craighead County city of Bono, according to a preliminary report.
State police Troop C Capt. John Carter said 27-year-old Jerod McHenry-Justice of Warrensburg, Mo., was driving south when he crossed the highway's centerline and hit a northbound 2017 Ford in the driver's side.
The Ford driver -- Terry Greer, 39, of Trumann -- was hauling farm equipment and was on his way to deliver it to a customer, Carter said.
Both men were killed in the wreck.
A 37-year-old man died early Thursday when his vehicle traveled off a state highway and hit a tree, state police said.
The crash happened shortly after 1 a.m. as David Ramsey of Quitman was driving south on Arkansas 5 in the Cleburne County city of Hopewell, according to a preliminary report.
Authorities said Ramsey's 2006 Dodge left the road, flipped and hit a tree. He suffered fatal injuries.
A Little Rock woman died in a fiery crash on a central Arkansas road Wednesday morning, authorities said.
According to a preliminary state police report, the wreck occurred at 10 a.m. on West Azalea Drive in Alexander.
Johna McNeer, 53, was headed east in a 2010 Toyota Tacoma when the pickup traveled off the north side of the road and stuck a tree, according to the report. State police said the vehicle caught fire, and McNeer suffered fatal injuries.
A Searcy man died and a woman was hurt Wednesday when the vehicle they were in hit a concrete barrier and flipped on Interstate 630 in Little Rock, authorities said.
State police said the crash happened shortly before 5:45 a.m. on the highway near Interstate 30.
Jessica Brawley of Bald Knob was driving east in a 2001 Land Rover when the sport utility vehicle left the road. The 26-year-old overcorrected and hit a concrete barrier, causing the vehicle to overturn, according to a preliminary crash report.
Authorities said 29-year-old Patrick Leonard, a passenger in the SUV, was killed.
A 65-year-old man died Wednesday when the vehicle he was driving crashed into the back of a truck in south Arkansas, state police said.
Joe Dixon of El Dorado was traveling west on U.S. 82 near Hope Landing at 3 p.m. when his 1996 Ford veered off the road, according to a state police preliminary crash report.
Authorities said that as he re-entered the road, his vehicle crossed the centerline and hit the left rear side of a 2018 Peterbilt traveling east. Dixon suffered fatal injuries in the crash.
The weather was clear and roads were dry at the time of all the crashes, state police reported.
Information for this article was contributed by Jillian Kremer of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Metro on 06/30/2018