Six people died in two separate vehicle accidents in the state over Halloween weekend -- including four current and former Cabot High School students who died in a one-vehicle crash in White County -- according to Arkansas State Police.
The crash happened at 10:30 p.m. Saturday on Gravel Hill Road, half a mile north of Arkansas 31.
An accident report from the state police named two of the victims as Alexandria Simpkins, 20, and Codi Rice, 19; it lists two others as minors. A post on the Facebook page of Cabot United Methodist Church named the two minors as Sydney Shumate and Brooke Butler.
According to the accident report, Simpkins was at the wheel of a 2012 Jeep driving south on Gravel Hill Road when it ran off the edge of the road. The driver overcorrected, then spun counter-clockwise and struck a guardrail. The Jeep then left the road, flipped and struck a tree.
It was foggy and the road was wet at the time of the accident, according to the report. None of the victims was transported to the hospital from the scene.
A candlelight prayer service for the four girls was held at the church Sunday evening. Counselors were at the Cabot High School auditorium Sunday to help students, friends and family members deal with the loss.
"The Cabot School District is saddened to learn about the tragic automobile accident this weekend involving several current and former Cabot High School students," Cabot Public Schools Superintendent Tony Thurman said in a release.
"This is a difficult time for our district and it will be an extremely emotional week for our students," Thurman said. "We will be providing support and extra counselors will be available as long as needed. Please keep the families involved, students, staff, and the Cabot community in your thoughts and prayers."
In Dallas County, a man and a woman were killed in a head-on collision early Sunday morning, according to state police.
Eldon Thompson, 50, of Sparkman was driving a 1998 Toyota Corolla with Ashley Webb, 30, of Bearden in the passenger seat about 12:20 a.m. Sunday. A 2001 Mercury crossed the centerline, killing Thompson and Webb, the preliminary state police report said.
The driver of the Mercury was not named in the preliminary report.
Neither of the victims were transported to the hospital from the scene, and there were no other injuries, according to the report.
The report said the road was dry and weather conditions were clear at the time of the accident.
Metro on 11/02/2015