A Texas man died Tuesday night in a fiery single-vehicle crash on U.S. 67 in rural Craighead County, according to a preliminary fatality report from Arkansas State Police.
Rene Villarreal III, 33, of Houston, was northbound on U.S. 67 just before 8:45 p.m. when his Nissan Juke left the road and he lost control while attempting to get back on the road.
The Nissan struck a roadside ditch and overturned, ejecting Villarreal and trapping him underneath the vehicle which just caught fire.
A pedestrian reportedly struck by a vehicle and killed Tuesday afternoon in the 2700 block of Central Avenue in Hot Springs, across from Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort, has been identified as Donald Ray Thompson, 64, of Hot Springs, according to a state police fatality report.
According to the report, at approximately 1:09 p.m., a 2015 Mack semi truck was turning from a parking lot south onto Central near Oaklawn Avenue. Thompson was walking north on the sidewalk as the truck was entering the roadway and the truck’s front bumper “made contact” with him, causing fatal injuries.
The victim was pronounced dead at the scene by Garland County Coroner Stuart Smedley.