Crashes on roads in state take lives of 3 people, injure 2 more

Three people were killed and two more injured in three crashes on Arkansas roads Thursday and Friday morning, according to preliminary fatality reports from law enforcement.

Courtney Colburn, 33, of Jonesboro was riding on an electric scooter around 6:43 a.m. Thursday on Craighead County Road 780, north of Jonesboro, when a 2015 Jeep Cherokee struck the scooter, ejecting her from it and fatally injuring her, a report from the Craighead County sheriff’s office states.

The driver of the Jeep was not injured.

Marquita Gantt, 43, of Little Rock was killed around 8:44 p.m. Thursday when the 2009 Chevrolet she was driving west on Mabelvale Cutoff in Little Rock veered across the center line and struck an eastbound 2002 Lexus, a report from Little Rock police states.

The driver of the Lexus, Martin Cole, 39, also of Little Rock, was taken to an area hospital for treatment.

Brian Gustin, 52, of Aurora, Mo., died around 11:27 a.m. Friday when he lost consciousness due to an unknown medical issue and crashed the 2023 Harley-Davidson trike motorcycle he was riding on Interstate 49 South near Chester, according to a report from the Arkansas State Police.

The trike went off the right shoulder and hit several small trees as it rolled into a concrete ditch, ejecting Gustin and passenger Jennifer Gustin, 34, also of Aurora, Mo. The vehicle rolled 758 feet before coming to a halt, the report states.

Jennifer Gustin was taken to a Fort Smith hospital for treatment.

Law enforcement officers investigating each of the three wrecks reported that the weather was clear and the road was dry at the time.