One killed in four-vehicle wreck
A wreck involving four vehicles on Highway 64 on Monday afternoon resulted in one fatality of a Conway woman and sent a 1-year-old girl and another Conway woman to Conway Regional Medical Center.
Amanda Garvin, 29, of Conway was killed in the accident and pronounced dead on the scene.
Garvin was driving a black 2005 Chevy Tahoe eastbound on Highway 64 with her 1-year-old daughter as a passenger when “for an unknown reason” she struck the driver’s side mirror of a 2000 Toyota Tundra headed westbound. Chris Harris, public information officer for the Conway Police Department, said Garvin hit the mirror, “bounced and sideswiped a 2004 Toyota 4runner headed westbound and then slammed into the axle behind the cab of an 18-wheeler on the driver’s side.”
Harris said Garvin’s daughter, along with the driver of the 2004 Toyota 4runner, Gerri Wolfe, 49, of Conway, were transported by MEMS to Conway Regional Medical Center.
Major Kerry Pool of the CPD said a witness accompanied Garvin’s daughter to the emergency room.
Highway 64 was closed from the time of the accident at 2:52 p.m., from Salem Road to Hogan Road. “The roads will be closed indefinitely. There’s a lot to clean up,” Harris said. “Crews will have to microblaze the roadway to get rid of the diesel fuel. And the side of the road, which has been soaked with fuel will need to be dug up.”
According to Harris, Wolfe sustained minor injuries for which she did not need to be hospitalized. Garvin’s daughter received abrasions from car seat straps, and was also released before 6:30 p.m. Monday.
The cause of the accident was still under investigation at press time.
(Staff writer Courtney Spradlin can be reached by e-mail at courtney.spradlin@thecabin.net or by phone at 505-1236. To comment on this and other stories in the Log Cabin, log on to www.thecabin.net. Send us your news at www.thecabin.net/submit)
Comments (20)
Add commentWider Road
The Highway Department really needs to consider widening this road! It is pretty narrow for people to be going such a high speed and since they have opened the road up and added an interstate exit, it is highly traveled. It will just be a matter of time before another accident happens. The road leaves no room for error at all.
What a shame
This is terrible that a life has been lost. However, we can't widen every road in Arkansas. People just need to learn to stay in their lane. I had my mirror hit recently by a vehicle that had crossed the center line and entered my lane. It seems that every time I get out on the road lately I end up dodging someone who crosses the center line. A couple of weeks ago I was run into the ditch by a school bus full of kids.
I think drivers licenses should only be issued to those who demonstrate that they can competently operate a motor vehicle.
Regarding Conway Girl's comment
You are only supposed to be going 30 mph and then 35 mph on this road and not 40 mph or higher look allot of people do. If they wouldn't drive so fast there wouldn't be an accident. Keep that in mind.
Regarding LadyArray's statement
Actually, the speed limit on the road is 55mph. I completely agree with Conway Girl's comment. Not only is there a lot more traffic on the road due to the interstate onramp, but it is also heavily traveled by 18 wheelers, dump trucks, logging trucks, and sanitation vehicles. I have lived on this road for 15 years, and it has always been dangerous. Now with the added volume, I hope that the state does at least consider widening the road or making some effort to making it safer to drive on.
AHTD builds the roads width's
based on Federal Highway standards and the speeds allowed are then based on that. Unfortunately drivers become distracted for whatever reason which leads to most accidents. However it could have been a medical emergency as well. Recently I have seen a lot of people texting while driving, even though it is illegal now. Hopefully no one has to get killed for people to learn to not do this.
Please be careful before you judge others
If we are all honest, even those who are normally careful drivers get distracted for various reasons. If any of us are honest with ourselves we all know we have gone too fast, swerved a bit too close to another car, tailgated someone without thinking, or many other things that could be dangerous if we happened to be at the "wrong place at the wrong time." Instead of judging, let us pray for this young family and the husband and children left behind. Again, if we are honest with ourselves, it could have been you, but for the grace of God. They need prayers, not condemnation.
I completely agree with
I completely agree with dmjrd. Stop all this bickering and start praying for this family. This mother could have been distracted by many things, Maybe she was trying to tend to a crying baby in the back seat. I know I have handed a bottle or a toy to a fussy baby in the back seat while I was trying to drive.
Completely agree Christyb....but
I completely agree with you christyb, but you just point blank proved the point. If you have to tend to ANYTHING BUT THE ROAD, pull off. Taking 1 to 2 minutes out of your life to pull over to text, tend to a baby or do whatever needs to be done can make all the difference in the world..to you and others. I do pray for this family, this is a tragedy and I pray even more it wasn't something as careless as talking on the phone or texting that ultimately caused all this. Any and all text and phone calls can wait till you stop or get home...nothing is more important than your life or the life of others.
They widened the road between
They widened the road between Salem down towards Lowes, but they didnt widen it between Salem and Hogan. And now that they have the interstate on-ramp / exit on Salem, many people that live in West Conway take this Hwy. The speed limit is 55 on this road up until you get closer to Salem. When they added the Interstate exit there, it is there responsibility to take in account the added traffic the area will have. I do think they need to lower the speed limit in between Salem and Hogan and I think they need to widen the road a bit, just adding a turning lane would make a difference and adding curbs to the side of the road. It is something they are going to have to consider. Otherwise more and more accidents like this will occur. I understand that she did swerve and hit the other vehicle, but I think everyone has accidentally looked away for a split second and that is all it takes, I know some of you have said that we shoudnt do that. But it happens to the best of drivers. Keep that in mind. And this family is most certainly in our prayers.
Again this morning
It happened to me again this morning. Had to move over three times because oncoming drivers were in my lane. This was during a round trip of less than five miles.
By the way, the text messaging law is dumb and not enforceable. There are many other things people do while driving that are just as bad or worse.