Jonathan Gary Williams,Javier Rivera Obituary, Death; – The Arkansas State Police (ASP) have identified three victims involved in a series of accidents that took place early Monday morning along the westbound lanes of Interstate 30 between Hope and Fulton.
At approximately 1 a.m. on July 21, ASP responded to a fatal hit-and-run incident near the 18-mile marker of I-30 in Hempstead County. The victim has been identified as 44-year-old Jonathan Gary Williams from Sherwood.
At the time of the incident, Williams was employed as a contractor for the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) and was reportedly operating a specialized trailer to apply reflectors to the center line of the roadway. He was struck by a 2004 Buick Century, and the driver of the Buick fled the scene on foot. As of the latest update at 5:15 p.m. on Monday, the suspect has not been apprehended.
Around 2:15 a.m., Troopers responded to a second collision involving two vehicles near the 19-mile marker, which resulted in injuries that were not life-threatening. The drivers involved received treatment at the scene.
The third incident occurred near the 20-mile marker westbound, involving three semi-trucks and a pickup truck. Two passengers, 25-year-old Jonathan Garcia and 61-year-old Javier Rivera, both from Hope, were pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver and another passenger in the pickup truck were taken to nearby hospitals with serious injuries. The westbound lanes of I-30 were temporarily closed to facilitate investigation and cleanup efforts. ARDOT Director Jared Wiley released a statement regarding the death of one of its contractors:
“The ARDOT family is deeply saddened to learn of multiple fatalities related to crashes, including the tragic loss of a highway contractor who was killed while performing his duties early this morning,” Wiley stated. “The contractor was working in a mobile work zone along Interstate 30 west near Fulton when he was struck and killed. Two additional crashes occurred in the traffic queues that formed after the initial incident, resulting in multiple injuries and two more fatalities. Highway workers carry out essential work.
