Traffic accidents on Arkansas roads kill three motorists

At least three people died since Friday after separate road accidents.

An Arkansas woman died after a crash Monday in Searcy County.

Diana Lee House, 43, of Leslie was driving north on U.S. 65 when the crash happened shortly before 3 a.m., according to a preliminary report by Arkansas State Police.

While near Backbone Mountain, House's Chevrolet reportedly crossed the centerline and struck a tractor-trailer traveling in the opposite direction, authorities said.

Troopers described conditions as clear and dry at the time of the crash.

The report stated both House and the Peterbilt truck's driver, 58-year-old Danny Robert Setliff, of Springfield, Mo., were taken to Ozark Health Medical Center for treatment of their injuries.

House died on Monday, according to the Roller-Coffman Funeral Home.

A 17-year-old boy died Saturday after his vehicle struck a tree and flipped on a highway in southwest Arkansas, authorities said.

[RELATED: Click here for full coverage of fatal wrecks in Arkansas] 

The crash happened shortly after 11:15 p.m. as the teen drove his Ford truck north on Columbia County 53, according to a preliminary report by Arkansas State Police.

Troopers said the 2008 vehicle missed a curve, left the road and hit a tree before overturning.

The 17-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene, the report said. Another youth, whose name and age weren't released, was taken to Magnolia Regional Hospital for treatment of his injuries.

Authorities described conditions at the time of the wreck as clear and dry.

A 74-year-old north Arkansas man whose Jeep struck a ditch on Friday has also died, authorities said.

The wreck happened as James H. Smith, of Horseshoe Bend, drove north on Arkansas 395 just before 1 p.m., a preliminary report by the Salem Police Department states.

Smith reportedly missed a curve and over-corrected, causing his 2004 Jeep to leave the road and hit the ditch, according to the report.

Police said Smith was taken to Cox South Hospital in Springfield, Mo., for treatment of his injuries and later died. The Greene County medical examiner's office couldn't immediately confirm the time of Smith's death.

Weather conditions were described as rainy and the roads were wet at the time of the wreck, police said.

Metro on 08/27/2019

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story was based on a police summary that listed an incorrect date for a crash on U.S. 65 that killed Diana Lee House. It happened on Aug. 26.

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