Four die across state in weekend traffic accidents

At least four people were killed in accidents on Arkansas roads since Saturday, authorities said.

A toddler girl died after being struck by a vehicle that was backing out of a parking area in Johnson County, authorities said.

Arkansas State Police said it happened about 5:15 a.m. Saturday at a location off Arkansas 123 in rural Johnson County.

According to a preliminary report, a 2002 Jeep was traveling east in reverse from a parking area when it hit the 16-month-old girl. She was taken to Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock, where she died shortly after 9 p.m. Sunday, according to Pulaski County Coroner Gerone Hobbs.

No other injuries were reported. Conditions at the time were said to be clear and dry.

A Waldron woman died after the vehicle she was driving ran off a highway and ended up in a pond, police said.

Patrice Barker, 35, was driving a 2008 Chevrolet west on Arkansas 28 when the vehicle veered off the highway shortly after 8:30 p.m. Sunday, according to an Arkansas State Police report. It happened near White House Lane southeast of Waldron.

The Chevrolet hit an embankment, mailboxes and a barbed-wire fence before crashing into a pond, the report said.

No other injuries were listed.

A 38-year-old woman died and two men were hurt when their vehicle ran off a road and flipped onto its top, authorities said.

It happened about 7 p.m. Saturday as a 2002 Ford traveled east along Johnson County 3371 in Clarksville, according to an Arkansas State Police report.

Authorities said the vehicle was in a curve when it veered off the road, ran into a ditch, hit a tree and flipped.

One occupant — Mellissa Carney of Lamar — suffered fatal injuries, according to the report.

Two others — 26-year old Oscar Alvizo and 22-year-old Emilio Cortez, both of Clarksville — were listed as being hurt, but the report didn’t indicate the severity of their injuries.

Police said it was not clear who was driving when the car crashed.

An Arkadelphia man died Thursday after the vehicle he was driving ran off a state highway and rolled over twice, authorities said.

Arkansas State Police said it happened as Aaron J. Ledford, 40, was driving a 1996 Chevrolet south on Arkansas 347 shortly before 6:30 p.m. in Point Cedar in Hot Spring County.