Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Driver charged in Interstate 40 crash
A White County man has been charged with felony negligent homicide, driving while intoxicated and other charges in the Oct. 23 traffic accident on Interstate 40 in Franklin County that killed an Oklahoma man.
Charges were filed Wednesday in Franklin County Circuit Court against 31-year-old David Ray Thomason of Bradford. In addition to the homicide and driving while intoxicated charges, Thomason was charged with three counts of aggravated assault, two counts of failure to stop after an accident with injury or death, fleeing and reckless driving.
Thomason remained in the Franklin County jail in lieu of $150,000 bond Thursday, according to court records. A public defender was appointed to represent him, and his arraignment is scheduled for Thursday in Ozark.
An Arkansas State Police accident report said tests showed Thomason had a blood-alcohol content of 0.12 percent. A person with a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 percent is considered intoxicated in Arkansas.
Thomason was accused of ramming a 2017 GMC pickup and travel trailer while heading west on the interstate about 8:20 p.m. Oct. 23. The state police accident report said the pickup with the trailer was in the outside lane and the 2005 Pontiac minivan Thomason was driving approached from the inside lane and then moved into the outside lane where it struck the pickup and trailer.
The pickup and the minivan went off the road and struck trees. The minivan spun around after hitting a tree; the pickup and travel trailer hit several trees before tipping over on their sides.
Trapped in the pickup were Guy Holden, 68, of Chouteau, Okla., and his wife Patsy, 66, the state police report said. A registered nurse who came upon the accident scene, Delacy Parks of Warner, Okla., said in a statement that was included in the state police report that Guy Holden was complaining of pain in his left side and chest. He was coughing up blood, and his left arm was broken.
Guy Holden was pronounced dead later at a hospital in Van Buren, the state police report said.