Arkansas – The Arkansas State Police is investigating a sequence of early morning crashes that occurred along westbound Interstate 30 between Hope and Fulton on Monday, July 21, resulting in the deaths of three individuals and multiple injuries.
The first incident was reported at approximately 1 a.m. near the 18-mile marker. Jonathan Gary Williams, 44, of Sherwood, was working as a contractor for the Arkansas Department of Transportation when he was fatally struck by a 2004 Buick Century.
Williams had been operating from a specialized trailer, applying reflectors to the center line of the roadway. The driver of the Buick fled the scene on foot and has not yet been identified or located. The incident is being treated as a hit-and-run fatality.
Roughly an hour later, at around 2:15 a.m., troopers responded to a second crash near the 19-mile marker involving two vehicles. The collision resulted in minor injuries, with both drivers treated at the scene.
A third and more severe crash occurred near the 20-mile marker and involved three tractor-trailers and a pickup truck. Two passengers in the pickup—Jonathan Garcia, 25, and Javier Rivera, 61, both of Hope—were pronounced dead at the scene. The driver and a third passenger from the pickup sustained serious injuries and were transported to nearby hospitals for treatment.
As a result of the crashes, westbound lanes of I-30 between Hope and Fulton were closed for several hours while authorities conducted investigations and cleared the wreckage. One westbound lane reopened around 9 a.m., with all lanes fully reopened by noon.
The Arkansas State Police continues to investigate all three incidents and is urging the public to exercise heightened caution when driving through work zones. Authorities are also asking anyone with information about the hit-and-run suspect to contact law enforcement.