$100,000 bail set in deadly car crash

EL DORADO — Bail was set Monday at $100,000 for James K. Williams of Ward, who faces charges of negligent homicide related to a March car accident that killed two people.

Williams, 31, appeared before Judge Jack Barker on Monday morning. In addition to his bail, he was assigned a public defender.

The Union County sheriff’s office announced Williams’s arrest last week. He faces two counts of negligent homicide in the March 27 wreck that killed Shawn Strickland of El Dorado and Joanna McJunkin of McRae.

Negligent homicide is classified in Arkansas as a Class B felony. Williams faces between five and 20 years in prison and a $15,000 fine if convicted.

According to an accident report from the Arkansas State Police, Williams was headed north on Arkansas 155 shortly before 7:30 p.m. March 27 with McJunkin in the passenger seat. His vehicle crossed the centerline and hit Strickland’s 2015 Toyota head-on.

McJunkin, 35, died at the scene of the wreck.

Williams and Strickland were transported to the Medical Center of South Arkansas and were treated for injuries they suffered in the wreck.

Strickland, 25, died in the early hours of April 10.

Capt. Jeff Stinson, chief investigator for the Union County sheriff’s office, said last week that Arkansas State Police handled the initial investigation of the accident. In the fall, deputies spoke with witnesses who encountered Williams before the wreck and received test results from the Arkansas State Crime Lab before deciding to proceed with charges, he said.

Police believe Williams was driving under the influence of drugs at the time of the accident, Stinson said.

“That’s our contention,” he said last week. “As time went on, this guy’s tests came back from the crime lab and then we had some witnesses we became aware of that saw him prior to the accident.”

State police and local law enforcement agencies are currently cracking down on those who drive while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs. The enforcement campaign will continue through Jan. 1, 2022.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an estimated 38,680 people died in traffic accidents in 2020, the highest number of road fatalities recorded since 2007. Factors that contributed to the road deaths included speeding, drinking while driving and failure to wear a seatbelt, according to the agency.

Williams remained incarcerated at the Union County jail on Monday afternoon.