An adult drowned after driving around a flood barricade in Barling, police said Tuesday.
The body was discovered about 5 p.m. Tuesday on Arkansas 22 in Sebastian County, officials said. It is the first reported death related to rising floodwaters in Arkansas created by the release of water from Oklahoma reservoirs.
Police are investigating the circumstances of the incident but said the driver went around barricades in an attempt to reach another location, according to James Breeden, spokesman with the Barling Police Department.
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"It just reinforces the message turn around, don't drown," Breeden said.
There are no homes in the immediate vicinity, Breeden said, and officials are unsure why the driver was in the area.
Police did not release the victim's name Tuesday, citing attempts to notify next of kin.
A Section on 05/29/2019