Separate incidents involving trains on Saturday resulted in the death of a 55-year-old woman in Arkansas County and a derailment in Jefferson County, authorities said.
A Stuttgart woman was killed and two others, including a child, were injured Saturday evening when a train hit their vehicle in Arkansas County, troopers said.
The crash happened at about 6:45 p.m. when a 2017 Hyundai stopped on a set of railroad tracks at West 10th Street in Stuttgart, according to a preliminary report by Arkansas State Police.
A passenger in the vehicle, Joyce Yvonne Racy, of Stuttgart, died at the scene of the wreck, troopers said. According to police, the driver, 67-year-old Lorenzo Racy, as well as an unidentified child, were injured and taken to Baptist Health Medical Center in Stuttgart.
Authorities described conditions as clear and dry at the time of the crash.
At least 219 people have died so far on Arkansas roads this year, preliminary figures indicate.
In Jefferson County, authorities said a train derailment later Saturday night resulted in the closure of two Arkansas roads, though no injuries were reported.
The train derailed at Gaddy Koonce Road, between Old Warren and Whiteville roads, a news release by the Jefferson County sheriff’s office states.
Deputies responding to the call at about 9 p.m. found a dozen tanker cars involved, though no hazardous materials or leaks were reported at the location.
Although authorities said they did not immediately know what caused the derailment, they added that a similar incident happened in 2014.
According to the release, Arkansas 54 will be closed at the railroad crossing until unaffected parts of the train can be moved. Gaddy Koonce Road crossing is “closed until further notice,” authorities said, though the state Department of Transportation did not indicate any closures on that road Sunday afternoon.