Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

One Other Major Accident Reported

Last week's ice and snow caused two accidents, one resulted in the loss of a 44-year-old woman's life.

The first accident occurred Thursday evening at 4:20 p.m. on Arkansas State Highway 53 south of Bodcaw near Brockman's Hill.

According to reports from the Arkansas State Police, Dorothy Faye Harper, 44, of Magnolia, was traveling south in a 1994 GMC van when she apparently hit a patch of ice and lost control of the vehicle.

Reports show she hit a fence and overturned four times. Harper was ejected from the van.

The accident was worked by ASP Cpl. Tim Land. His report showed no seat belts were in use at the time of the wreck.

Icy conditions were a contributing factor in the accident.

The other wreck, which happened around 8 a.m. Friday. involved a 1995 Kenworth tractor trailer and a 1987 Ford Escort.

Both vehicles were westbound on Interstate 30 at the 48 mile marker when the accident occurred.

According to reports from the ASP, the Escort was traveling between 30 and 35 miles per hour because of the weather conditions, while the semi was being driven at about 45 mph.

The semi driver, Ronald Thorpe, 33, of Greenfield, Tenn., said he was unable to see the Escort because of the blowing snow until he was right on it.

He swerved to the left in an attempt to avoid a collision, but was unable to do so. The right front of the semi struck the rear of the Escort.

The Escort traveled 360 feet before stopping at the foot of an embankment.

The Escort, driven by Irene Mize, 30, of Hope, was completely destroyed in the accident.

Mize, and the four passengers, Sebastian Hernandez, Victor Alvarado, Lee Cadena and Eron Friday, all of Hope, were transported to Medical Park Hospital by the Nevada County Ambulance Service.

According to Trooper Cleve Barfield's report, the semi sustained about $3,000 in damage. It is owned by White House, Inc. of Greenfield.

No citations were issued in the accident.