By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
Four people died on highways in the Arkansas State Police Troop D area, and another was seriously injured in Forrest City, over the weekend.
One accident took place at about 8:35 p.m. Sunday when a vehicle driven by Qakir Hakin, 33, of North Little Rock attempted to pass a tractor-trailer driven by Brenda S. Smith 42, of Crandall, Texas, westbound at about the 208 mile marker near Brinkley. Hakin apparently lost control of his vehicle, hit the guardrail twice and then ran under the trailer, where it exploded and burned.
Hakin was killed, along with the two passengers in his vehicle, Aretha Ware Rosby, 33 and Beverly Tucker, 35, both of North Little Rock. Smith was uninjured.
The second fatal accident occurred at about 10:19 p.m. Sunday, at about the 217 mile marker.
According to the ASP report, Mose Hooks Sr., 74, of North Little Rock, was driving west when he slowed because of an accident site ahead. His vehicle was struck in the rear by a vehicle driven by Antoni Bijoch, no age given, of New York, N.Y. The Bijoch vehicle then crossed the median and struck a vehicle driven by William L. Anderson, 45, of El Dorado.
Anderson died in the accident. Neither Bijoch or a passenger in his vehicle, Pawel Krupa, 16, of Gilbert, Pa., were injured. Hooks was treated and released.
Also on Sunday, a Forrest City man was seriously injured in a single-vehicle accident on Broadway.
According to the police report, at about 12:27 a.m., Demario Jordan, 27, of 165 Gregory, Forrest City, was driving west on Broadway (U.S. Highway 70) near McCutchen, at a high rate of speed, when he crossed over into the east bound lane, left the highway and struck a driveway culvert on the south side of the highway.
The Forrest City Fire Department's rescue team extracted Jordan from the vehicle. Jordan was taken to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest City and then airlifted to the Med in Memphis, where he was listed in critical condition this morning. There were no passengers reported.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
A patient at a local residential care facility was flown to Memphis this morning after walking away from the facility during the weekend.
A patient at Forrest Hills Residential Care Facility was found this morning in a wooded area near the center after she had reportedly walked away from the facility.
According to residents in the area, a woman had recently been knocking on doors asking for a cigarette and to use the telephone to call her doctor. Several residents said complaints have been filed with both the facility and the Forrest City Police Department regarding patients wandering away from the complex on Lindauer Road.
"I've made complaints to the police department and to the facility because we've had people coming up and knocking on the doors at all times of the day, and I had a patient make a lewd gesture towards my 12-year old daughter. One neighbor came out and found one of the ladies asleep in the back seat of his car, and other residents in this area have also complained. Something needs to be done," said a neighbor.
Forrest City Police Chief Clarence McNeary said today that he had not received any complaints regarding patients at the facility.
Officials with Forrest Hills Residential Care Facility refused to comment on the incident or any complaints filed against the facility, citing government regulations governing patient privacy and at their attorney's advice.
The FCPD is still investigating the weekend incident.
Arkansas State Police responded to a one-vehicle crash Friday night on Interstate 40 only to find the driver of the vehicle had left the scene prior to the their arrival.
ASP Trooper Franklin McMillion said this morning he was called to the 237 eastbound mile marker on Interstate 40 just before 9 p.m. Friday where he found a wrecked 2003 Hyundai Elantra owned by U-Save Auto Rental.
McMillion said he is still trying to determine who had rented the vehicle and who was driving it at the time of the accident. Officials with U-Save Auto Rental in Marion confirmed this morning the vehicle belonged to that business, but would not reveal who had rented the vehicle.
"At this time, we don't know who was driving the vehicle," McMillion said.
According to McMillion, based on his investigation, the driver had driven into the median, apparently overcorrected and drove back across the eastbound lanes where it overturned in a ditch on the south side of I-40.
Alcohol was found inside the vehicle, but there were no open containers, according to McMillion.
The filing fees for Republican candidates in St. Francis County have been announced.
They include: County constitutional offices, $200; quorum court, $50; coroner, $50; mayor/alderman, $40; constable, $40; Republican committee, $20.
A rash of criminal mischief incidents, consisting of broken vehicle windows, hit Forrest City over the weekend.
The incidents of broken windows and those making the complaints were as follows: Albri Cassell, 427 Highland, reported Saturday that he and his wife returned from out of town to find that a company truck's windshield had been broken; Charles V. Kerr of Heber Springs reported Sunday that his driver's side window was broken and the driver's side door dented, while parked at 1433 E. Broadway; Vince Billingsley of 1331 N. Izard reported Sunday that he discovered the back window of his Jeep had been broken; Evette Wright of 3965 Hwy 1, N., reported Sunday that the back window of her Ford Taurus had been broken out; Jeffrey Patty of 309 Laughrun reported Saturday that the back window of his vehicle had been broken out; Alan Smith of Park Drive reported Sunday this the rear window of his car had been broken.
Police are investigating the incidents.