Wrecks in state claim four lives

One accident kills pedestrian

At least four people died earlier this week in separate road accidents, authorities said.

A 47-year-old man was killed after his motorcycle overturned Tuesday afternoon off a west Arkansas highway, police said.

The crash happened shortly after 1:50 p.m. in Johnson County on Arkansas 123, according to a preliminary report from the Arkansas State Police.

Authorities say Lamar resident Ronald G. Ritchie was driving south when his Harley-Davidson traveled off the highway and overturned.

The weather was listed as clear, and the highway was described as dry at the time of the wreck.

A Texas man died on an Arkansas highway Tuesday after losing control of a truck in a curve, authorities said.

The crash happened shortly before 7:15 p.m. on Arkansas 9 in Perry County, according to an Arkansas State Police preliminary report.

Troopers wrote that Jesus Rodriguez III of Laredo, Texas, was driving a 2006 Kenworth south when he lost control in a curve and overturned.

The truck traveled off the highway and hit some trees, the report stated. The 24-year-old man suffered fatal injuries.

Conditions were described as clear and dry at the time of the wreck.

A pedestrian died after being struck by a van near a Northwest Arkansas fast-food eatery Tuesday night, police said.

According to a news release from the Springdale Police Department, officers were called to 4374 W. Sunset Ave., the listed address for Braum’s Ice Cream & Burger Restaurant, shortly before 10 p.m.

When they arrived, authorities found Floyd Jordan, 65, who was hit by a Honda Odyssey that had been traveling west on Sunset Avenue, the release stated. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police originally said Jordan had been riding a bicycle.

Authorities identified the van’s driver as 72-year-old James McIntyre. The crash is still under investigation, but McIntyre is not expected to face charges, authorities said.

A woman died earlier this week in a car crash in Pope County.

Initially, authorities issued a silver alert Monday morning for a missing couple — Elizabeth Hopkins, 90, and Lee Hopkins, 87, of Russellville. Authorities deactivated the alert about 6:50 p.m. Tuesday night after finding Elizabeth Hopkins dead and Lee Hopkins injured in the crash.

Lee Hopkins was driving north in a curve in the 27000 block of Arkansas 7 in Pope County when his red 2018 Buick Encore traveled down an embankment and hit a tree, the Arkansas State Police said in a preliminary report. Elizabeth Hopkins was a passenger in the SUV.

The report listed the time of the crash as 5:11 p.m., though it wasn’t immediately clear if that’s when it happened or when police were notified.

Road and weather conditions at the time were listed as “unknown.”