Two people died in separate highway wrecks Tuesday, including a head-on crash that killed a central Arkansas man, authorities said.
The Arkansas State Police said one crash happened before 8:30 a.m. along U.S. 167 in Velvet Ridge. Authorities said 25-year-old Obrin Rene Rodriguez-Lopez of North Little Rock was driving a Pontiac Solstice that crossed the highway’s centerline and slammed head-on with a truck.
Rodriguez-Lopez suffered fatal injuries.
The truck’s driver, identified as a 27-year-old Conway man, was taken to a hospital. The extent of his injuries wasn't detailed in a report.
Authorities also responded to a crash that killed one person and injured another in western Arkansas.
That wreck happened around 9:20 p.m. when 53-year-old Tony Sims was driving a 2007 Ford Fusion at Arkansas 7 and Arkansas 172 near Smackover, State Police said.
Authorities said Sims drove into the path of a pickup as he went through the intersection. He suffered fatal injuries.
The truck’s 24-year-old driver was taken to the Medical Center of South Arkansas for his injuries, according to the report.
Both men are El Dorado residents, according to the report.
Authorities noted clear weather and dry roads at the time of both crashes.
Preliminary figures show at least 173 people have died in crashes in Arkansas so far this year. That includes at least 33 deaths so far this month.