Police identify Arkansas man who caused pileup, died after leaping in river

Little Rock and North Little Rock water rescue boats maneuver beneath the I-30 bridge on the North Little Rock side of the Arkansas River Thursday afternoon.
Little Rock and North Little Rock water rescue boats maneuver beneath the I-30 bridge on the North Little Rock side of the Arkansas River Thursday afternoon.

Authorities identified on Friday the man who forcibly took his daughter and his ex-girlfriend's car Thursday and caused a multi-car pileup on the Interstate 30 bridge over the Arkansas River before jumping into the river, where he died.

Bill Sadler, a spokesman for the Arkansas State Police, confirmed the man was Clinon Gibson Jr., 42, of Searcy.

Witnesses said Gibson was driving erratically and caused multiple wrecks in the east- and westbound lanes of the I-30 bridge before leaving the 1-year-old girl in the car at approximately 2:20 p.m. and running down to the river, where he jumped off the North River Landing pier, Arkansas State Police Sgt. Coty Williams said Thursday.

A woman in Searcy told a police officer just before 4 p.m. that Gibson had taken their child and her vehicle earlier that day, according to a police report. The woman said Gibson was her ex-boyfriend, the report said. The Searcy report was made after Gibson had entered the water.

State Desk on 11/03/2018

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