Prairie Grove Graduate Dies In Accident

PRAIRIE GROVE — “We all loved him” — Lisa Farmer, secretary for Prairie Grove High School, sharing about Austin Deere, a 2012 Prairie Grove High graduate killed in a storm-related accident May 20.

Melissa Burton, a high school business teacher, taught Deere in several business classes throughout high school and said Deere was always very polite, respectful and a good student.

“He had a lot of friends and everyone thought a lot of him,” said Burton, fighting to hold back the tears.

Deere, 19, of Prairie Grove, was pronounced dead at the scene following an accident that occurred about 7:30 p.m. at the intersection of Powell Street and Robinson Avenue in Springdale, according to Lt. Derek Hudson with the Springdale Police Department. A funera l service for Deere was held Thursday at Prairie Grove Christian Church.

Hudson said Deere was westbound on Robinson Avenue, driving a Collier’s Drug delivery car, when his vehicle was struck by debris from a shattered plastic pawn shop sign. Hudson said debris from the shattered sign flew across five lanes of highway and impacted the front windshield of Deere’s vehicle. The debris hit Deere in the upper body.

Mandy Bartholomew, who teaches vocational careers at the high school, said Deere was always smiling, “messing around with you,” and was a “good kid to be around.” Bartholomew’s husband and Deere’s mother are cousins.

She lives near Deere’s family and said she will miss driving by his house and seeing him outside playing basketball.

“He had a lot of future ahead of him that was cut short,” Bartholomew said.

Deere attended the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith last semester and had taken the spring semester off. He planned to return to college in the fall, either at the University of Arkansas or Northwest Arkansas Community College, Bartholomew said.

The teachers said Deere was active at Prairie Grove Christian Church, was a member of the marketing club and played on the baseball team.

Baseball coach Mitch Cameron said Deere played baseball his freshman year and part of his sophomore year. Deere transferred to Haas Hall Academy his junior year and then returned to Prairie Grove his senior year.

“As a freshman, he was a great student athlete,” Cameron said. “He worked really hard and never had any problems whatsoever.”

Cameron said Deere was very coachable, had good manners and was a “great person to be on the team.”

Deere is survived by his parents, J. D. and Gaylene Bartholomew Deere of Prairie Grove; one sister, Asten Reynolds of Virginia Beach; paternal grandmother, Jackie Deere of Nashville; and his maternal grandparents Wayne and Wanda Bartholomew of Prairie Grove.

Deere