Crashes kill six, hurt four on state roads

Six people died and four more were injured on state roads between Sunday morning and Monday morning, according to preliminary reports from Arkansas State Police.

Loren Smallwood, 36, of Tobaccoville, N.C., and David Jernigan Jr., 30, of Mount Airy, N.C., died around 5 a.m. on Interstate 40 in Franklin County after the 2024 Kenworth vehicle they were in left the roadway and went into the median, according to a report. The vehicle struck the center pylons at the Pleasant View Road overpass. Jernigan was driving the vehicle.

Weather conditions at the time of the crash were cloudy and dry, according to a state trooper investigating the accident.

Dennis Bostick, 68, of Colfax, La., was killed in a five-vehicle crash on U.S. 65 in Clinton. Shelton Smith, 18, of Damascus; Sonja Blackburn, 49, of Lebanon, Mo.; Amanda Reichel, 40, of Vienna; and Roger Gerling, 48, of Jefferson City, Mo., were injured in the accident.

Bostick, who was driving northbound in a 2019 Ford vehicle, died when a box truck lost control while traveling southbound on the road, according to a report from state police. The other vehicles involved in the crash were also traveling northbound. The truck struck the vehicle Bostick was in and another vehicle with its front right side. After the impact, the trailer came off the vehicle and struck two other vehicles, according to the report.

It was raining and wet at the time of the accident, according to a state trooper investigating the crash.

Michael Robinson, 50, of Jonesboro and Anyna James, 48, of Senath, Mo., died in a crash around 1:50 a.m. Monday, according to the report. The 2009 Ford Explorer Robinson was driving crossed the center line and center turn lane as he was traveling westbound on Arkansas 412 in Greene County, the report said. He hit the 2016 Dodge Durango James was driving eastbound head-on.

Conditions were cloudy and wet, according to a state trooper investigating the crash.

Robin McBride, 25, of Ashdown died while traveling southbound on U.S. 71 in Lockesburg. Around 1:50 a.m. Monday, the 2015 Nissan she was driving left the roadway and hit a tree, according to a report from Arkansas State Police.

The weather at the time of the crash was foggy and dry, according to a state trooper investigating the accident.