One person was killed and two others were injured in a two-vehicle crash last Wednesday morning on U.S. Highway 65 north of Harrison. Authorities say rainy conditions contributed to the accident, which occurred around 8:50 a.m. in the Bear Creek area.
The Arkansas State Police identified the deceased as 73-year-old Susan Bearden of Branson, Missouri. Bearden was transported to Mercy Hospital in Springfield, where she later succumbed to her injuries. A passenger in Bearden’s vehicle, 67-year-old Mary Scaggs of Springfield, was also injured and taken to North Arkansas Regional Medical Center (NARMC) in Harrison for treatment.
The driver of the second vehicle, 57-year-old Richard Strutton of Crocker, Missouri, suffered injuries as well and was transported to NARMC.
According to the Arkansas State Police’s preliminary report, the crash occurred when Bearden’s vehicle lost control on the wet roadway, crossed the center line, and collided with a semi-truck driven by Strutton. It was raining at the time of the crash, and the road surface was wet, the report noted.
No additional details about the condition of the injured or other factors surrounding the accident were immediately available.