Monticello Live

Around 11:30 am, Monday, as the driver of this Chevy Equinox was getting lunch at Wendy’s drive-through, the operator of this Honda Accent lost control of her vehicle as she was traveling east on the Walmart Access Road, near Sears.

The Honda then crossed the street, drove through a chain link fence (the old Dodge dealership), through another chain link fence, across the back of the Wendy’s parking lot, before colliding with the Chevy.

 Both drivers and one passenger were transported to DMH by MASI. MPD worked the collision.  Triple A towed the Chevy; C&L Wrecker removed the Honda.

Around 4 pm, Friday, Monticello Police were called to a car crash on HWY 425 South, near Fred’s.

According to witnesses at the scene, the driver of a Buick Roadmaster was crossing Bolling Street, toward the Fred’s parking lot, and pulled in front of a southbound Buick Skylark.

One person from each vehicle was transported to Drew Memorial by MASI. The Skylark was towed by Triple A Towing.  The Roadmaster was removed by Rod’s Wrecker.  Drew County Sheriff’s Deputies assisted MPD.

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A 19-year-old Monticello man died upon impact in a single car crash on East Jackson Street around 12:30 Sunday morning.

Note: The photos on the attached page may be alarming to sensitive readers.

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Winchester Road’s curve near Oak Grove Assembly of God Church was not a safe place to drive, on Thanksgiving day.

Around 2 pm, the driver of this Chevy Tahoe was driving towards HWY 278, when she lost control, and crashed in the new covered entrance to Oak Grove Assembly of God Church.  She was cited for driving too fast for conditions, no proof of insurance, and having a child in the vehicle with no child seat.  No one was injured.  Triple A Towing removed the Tahoe. 

Earlier, around noon, a Dodge pickup, traveling towards Winchester lost control in the curve, crossed the ditch, and collided with a Chevy Malibu, that was parked in a nearby yard.  No one was injured; Dan’s Wrecker removed the pick-up.  The driver received a ticket for no proof of insurance.

Monticello Police worked  both accidents.

Wednesday afternoon, around 2 p.m., as a trash transport truck and trailer was traveling to DeWitt, sources say a trailer tire blew out, causing the trailer to overturn and spill a portion of  it’s contents on the side of HWY 277, between HWY 278 and Tillar.

Generally, a  compactor box contains 10-13 tons of household garbage, which is compressed at Monticello’s city transfer station, and then transferred by Delta Environmental to DeWitt, where it is disposed of, by contract.

The truck pulling the trailer did not overturn.  The driver was uninjured.  Drew County deputies worked the scene.

Triple A Towing provided the clean up, with two wreckers, including their large wrecker to turn the container upright, and a backhoe, to collect the spill and reload it into another transport container. 

One lane of the highway was closed to traffic, due to the accident.

Matthew Womack, age 46, of Panama City, FL passed away on October 11, at UAMS in Little Rock, from injuries he sustained in a collision with a chip truck at the intersection of the new HWY 35 bypass and HWY 425 North, on Sept. 27. 

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Friday night, around 7 o’clock, an ambulance crew from SEEMS was returning to Monticello from Little Rock, after transfferring a patient.

As the ambulance came through Montongo, it struck a deer in the highway.  No one in the ambulance was injured.

Drew County Sheriff’s deputies worked the accident, C&L Wrecker towed the vehicle. 

On Thursday afternoon, the Monticello Fire Dept. was paged out to Auto Mart on HWY 425 South to put out a vehicle fire, that was blazing in a roll-back wrecker at the dealership. MPD also responded.

For the second afternoon in a row, car crashes have kept police, ambulance crews, tow trucks, and hospital staff busy.

Tuesday around 2:30, according to reports from bystanders, a westbound Pontiac Grand Prix, shown here, failed to stop, at the intersection of HWY 278 East and Cherry Street.  The Pontiac collided with the rear of a GMC Envoy.

There were 5 passengers in the Pontiac, and 3 in the GMC.  SEEMS and MASI both responded.  A total of 8 people were transported to Drew Memorial from the wreck, including a couple who went by personal vehicle.

Monticello Fire & Rescue was paged out to remove occupants from the vehicles.   MPD worked the wreck, assisted by Arkansas State Troopers.  Triple A towed the Pontiac.

2 hours later, around 4:30, a Hyundai Elantra pulled out of a driveway at Montongo hill, on HWY 425 North, into the path of a southbound Mazda Tribute.

The Hyundai came to a stop after crossing a deep ditch, with passengers remaining trapped inside, causing Fire & Rescue to be called again.

SEEMS responded with 2 ambulances, and along with some who chose to ride in personal vehicles, a total of 8 accident victims were transported to Drew Memorial, from this crash as well.  Following this collision, 2 patients were taken to Little Rock and 2 more went to JRMC in Pine Bluff.

Drew County Sheriff’s deputies worked the scene.

2 2-vehicle car crashes in 2 hours sent a total of 16 victims to Drew Memorial.

Monticello Firefighters Spent 6 hours Battling "Old Bradley Mill" Fire in Warren, Saturday Night. Photo by David Forrest, of the Guesthouse.

On a day when emergency personnel are recognized across the nation, our local fire dept, police officers, sheriff’s deputies, state troopers, and both ambulance services were busy proving how important they are to our community.

Here’s a portion of their day…….

Before midnight Friday, Monticello Fire & Rescue was paged out to a single car wreck on HWY 293 near Selma, where an Oldsmobile’s 3 passengers needed them.  Arkansas State Troopers worked the wreck, assisted by Drew County Sheriff’s Deputies.  SEEMS transported the 3 victims to Drew Memorial.  Although it turns out that Fire & Rescue weren’t needed, the caller who reported the crash believed the 3 victims were pinned inside the vehicle.

Prior to this Arkansas State Troopers had made 3 DWI arrests late in the evening, protecting Drew County drivers.

4 am Car Crash on Barkada Road, Saturday.

Around 4am, Saturday morning, a Chrysler 300 crashed into a tree, 4 miles out, on Barkada Road.  The person who called this in reported that the driver was still inside the car, and it looked like the car was on fire.  Fire & Rescue were called out to save the crash victim.  When Drew County Deputies arrived on the scene, with Fire & Rescue right behind them, it was discovered that the “possible fire” was “air bag dust”, but at 4 in the morning, the caller couldn’t tell.  MASI transported the driver to DMH.  Triple A towed the vehicle.

First Responders Recognized by Local Veterans at Flag Dedication Ceremony at 1st Baptist Church

Several of our emergency personnel were recognized for their dedication and service, during a flag and flagpole dedication at First Baptist Church at 10 o’clock, by our local veteran’s organizations and Woodmen of the World.

House Fire at Dead Man's Curve, Saturday, 12:45.

Many of them attended a Community Prayer Rally at the Drew County Courthouse at noon, but were called out to a double-wide mobile home at 12:45, which was called in “the cars are there, but no one is standing outside.”  The photo shows how engulfed the structure was when it was called in.  Firefighters battled the blaze for 4 hours, hauling water from Carpenter Road, 1.5 miles away, until the fire was out.  Also worth noting, SEEMS came to the scene, “just in case” there would’ve been someone inside who needed medical care, and also, Sheriff Gober, an off-duty auxiliary deputy, and an area constable were at the fire, in case they were needed.

SEEMS Displayed a U. S. Flag on their Ambulance, in Honor of 9/11, Saturday

After getting the trucks ready for their next call, whatever it may be, and a very late lunch (at around 4:30), they got to sit down for the first time all day.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the end of the day for the Monticello Fire Dept.  The “Old Bradley Mill” in Warren caught on fire around 11 pm, Saturday night, and they were called to assist Warren’s Fire Dept.  Monticello’s firefighters arrived back at the fire-station 6 hours later.

Throughout the day, our Monticello Police and Drew County Sheriff’s Deputies answered calls of all types, around the clock.  SEEMS and MASI were on duty, providing their services, as always, at a moments notice.   The emergency room staff at Drew Memorial were ready and waiting, for whatever illness or injury came through the door next.

There wasn’t a minute of the day that there wasn’t a dispatcher standing by take you call, in case of emergency at MPD, ready to send whichever of these dedicated public workers your way, in your time of need.

As we look back on 9/11/2001, we should also recognize that same dedication that our Drew County emergency personel serve us with.

This Ford pick-up was westbound on Wilson Mill Road, just before noon, last Wednesday, when the driver lost control, and the truck ended up, upside down, in the ditch.

No one was inujred.  Drew County Sheriff deputies worked the scene, assisted by the Arkansas State Police.

Around 9 o’clock Thursday morning, a log truck was attempting to maneuver around a trac-hoe on North Cominto Road, when it slowly struck the machine, and overturned.

Drew County Sheriff’s deputies worked the scene, while a wrecker, along with the trac-hoe, returned the log truck to it’s upright position.

No major injuries were reported.

An Ashley County road grader was attempting to cross a railroad crossing around 10 am, Thursday.

The grader operator reportedly coundn’t see the train, due to a line of trees.

The driver was treated for minor injuries later.

Photo courtesy of Bill Horn, Drew County office of emergency management.

A 41 year old Monticello woman was riding her Honda Shadow 600 toward Monticello around noon Monday.  As she entered the curve on HWY 83 North, near Rose Hill Cut-Off Road, a welding work truck was traveling north on HWY 83, and attempted to turn north onto Garnett Road, crossing in front of the Honda, according to Drew County Sheriff Mark Gober.

The bike’s operator was transported to Drew Memorial before being airlifted to UAMS in Little Rock, multiple broken bones.

Triple A removed the Honda from the scene; Rod”s Wrecker towed the work truck.

Around 11:30, Saturday night, an unidentified vehicle was reportedly traveling west on Robin Hood Drive, when the driver lost control, crossed a yard (narrowly missing a tree), and crashed into a brick home.

Substantial damage was done to the house, and a noticeable amount of damage seems to have been done to the car.

No one inside of the residence was injured, but a member of the family that lives there was in the room next to where the crash occurred.

If anyone has any information about the incident, or knows of a vehicle that sustained damage to the front of it, Saturday night, please contact the Monticello Police Dept. at 367-3411.

Just before 4 o’clock, Friday afternoon, calls began coming into the Monticello Police Dispatch, reporting the collision of a motorcycle with a gravel truck, at the intersection of HWY 425 and HWY 83, near UAMonticello. (more…)

Just before noon Monday, the driver of the vehicle shown here was attempting to park outside of Western Sizzlin’, and reportedly pressed the accelerator instead of the brake pedal of the car.

The car then crashed through the wall and window of the restaurant, injuring 3 customers while they were eating their lunch.

Two of the injured customers were taken by ambulance to Drew Memorial; the third was being transported by personal vehicle.

Monticello police, fire & rescue, Drew County sheriff’s deputies, and Arkansas State Police responded to the scene.

This photo was taken by a MLive reader, while she was waiting at the stop light on HWY 425 North at the HWY 278 intersection.

Like they used to say on Sesame Street, “one of these thing doesn’t belong here.”

There was no wreck, and no one was injured.

The “Dead Man’s Curve” area was the scene of another serious motor vehicle accident, Friday morning, around 3 o’clock.

According to reports from the scene, the driver of this eastbound   Volkswagon Jetta crossed the center line, into the path of the oncoming westbound Plymoth Voyager, causing a head-on collision.

Both drivers had to be removed from their vehicles by Monticello Fire & Rescue, assisted by Drew County Sheriff Deputies.

SEEMS responded to aid the driver of the Voyager, and called for Air-Evac, an emergency helicopter transport, that has performed a training session with local emergency workers, but this is believed to be first “on scene” emergency pick-up in Drew County.

The victim was air-lifted to UAMS in Little Rock by chopper, from where it had landed, on the blocked off center line of HWY 278 East.

The driver of the Jetta was transported by MASI to Drew Memorial.

Triple A transported the Volkswagon, and J.A. Goad Towing removed the mini-van..

 Clean up continues near Main St. and Gaines St. intersection, as shown in these photos, after Sunday night’s midnight crash, which closed the intersection overnight, and limited use of East Gaines St.

Here’s the informtion on the crash, with photos from Sunday night. 

Gaines Street opens with 2 lanes of traffic and a 4-way stop sign.

The driver of this Dodge truck reportedly fell asleep, before the crash.

Traffic light from Main & Gaines, waiting on inspection.

Light pole on northeast corner of Main & Gaines, leaning over blocked roadway

Clearview Glass staff replacing Barber Shop window.

AT&T crews re-installing phone lines.

"Barber Shop Row" after clean up.

The power pole that was laying across the street has been replaced, in front of lawyer's office.

Around 8 o’clock Monday morning, AHTD personnel took over the damaged section of East Gaines Street from Main Street to Gabbert Street, and opened that area to small vehicle traffic.

Large trucks will still be detoured back to HWY 425, to travel north to Rose Hill Cut-Off Road, and then turn either north to Dumas, or south to Dermott, McGehee, southbound destinations.

The daylight photos show the damage down by last nights wreck, which is described below.

A wreck just before midnight, Sunday night, shut down traffic on East Gaines Street, from Main Street, to Gabbert Street, as well as taking the two stop lights on the square out of service

A Dodge Truck, apparently veered into the light pole, which hold the traffic light, then continued down East Gaines Street, knocking another power pole to the ground, completely blocking the street.

Some businesses also received minor damage.

E. Shelton to S. Gabbert Street is a good detour route on the south side of the square, and N. Main to Trotter, Jefferson, or Oakland can serve as detours from the north.

Monticello Police and city crews responded to the scene, as did Entergy, to restore power.

SEEMS transfered the driver to Drew Memorial, while Tommy’s Wrecker removed the Dodge.

Ann Hartness, age 36 of Monticello, was charged with DWI by the Monticello Police Dept. on Wednesday, Sept 16, following a 1 vehicle accident at the intersection of Patton and Edgewood.

Tuesday evening, September 22, between 7-8 p.m., Hartness was involved in another single vehicle wreck, this time on Barkada Road, just outside of the Monticello city limits, and was charged with DWI II by the Drew County Sheriff’s Dept.

The Ford Freestyle was towed Patton by Rod’s Wrecker, and from Barkada by Tommy’s Wrecker.

Hartness’ vehicle was also towed on Saturday, August 1 by J.A. Goad Towing., following another accident on Jefferson Street.

Just after 8 o’clock, Monday night, a single vehicle accident occurred a few miles northeast of Monticello.

The driver of the vehicle was killed in the crash, and the passenger was critically injured, and has been airlifted by helicopter to Little Rock. (more…)

Arkansas State Police have confirmed that searchers have found and removed the body of Latasha Strong, age 32, of Warren, and the missing Honda Civic in which she was a pasenger, from near the Flat Branch Creek Bridge near the Saline River, around 3:15 p.m., Monday afternoon.  Ms. Strong was reportedly still in the vehicle, which was found south of the bridge.  She was the mother of 2 children.

The driver of the vehicle, Tyrone Gillman, age 30, of Warren, escaped from the vehicle early Sunday morning, and was able to flag down a passing motorist, which led to the 2 day long search.

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Photos by Dani West, MHS EAST lab. (more…)

At approximately 10 o’clock Saturday morning, this John Deere tractor collided with the Ford Expedition, shown below, on HWY 35 East, near the fairgrounds.

MASI transpored the victims from  the wreck to Drew Memorial Hospital.  The Drew County Sheriff’s Dept. worked the scene, assisted by the Monticello Police Dept.  Triple A Towing set the tractor back on it’s wheels, and towed the Ford.

Just before 10 o’clock, Friday night, Jim Metzger, of Washougal, WA, was attempting to land his Flight Commander aircraft at the Monticello Airport, when the plane struck a deer in the run way. (more…)

At approximately 7:23 Monday evening, Derrick Johnson, age 34 of Wilmar, was traveling east on HWY 278, 1/2 mile west of the Monticello city limits, when he came up behind a 1995 Dodge pick up, being driven by a Monticello man, and struck right rear of the truck at a high rate of speed. (more…)

Around 9 o’clock Monday night, people around UAM had their lights go out, soon the 9-1-1 phone at the police dept. received several reports about a overturned pick-up on Bowser road near HWY 425.

When the police dept. and a state trooper arrived, they heard about another truck that had left the scene…and a drag race. (more…)

According to Arkansas State Police reports, David Parker of Monticello was pronounced dead at the scene of a tractor trailer-car accident at the intersection of HWY 65 and HWY 388 in Lincoln.  The intersection is better described as the turn-off that leads to the Dept. of Corrections for Cummins & Varner units. (more…)

A three vehicle wreck near the top of the hill in the 800 block of North Gabbert around 2 a.m. Sunday morning, sent two people to the hospital.

The Chevy Colorado, shown above, turned in front of the Olds Alero, which hit the tree on the west side of Gabbert St. according to the police report.

The driver of the Alero, Rodney Ridgell, was charged with DWI 2, no proof of insurance, and driving with a suspended license.

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Justin Arnold, age 19 of Camden, died at the scene of a Thursday auto accident that occurred around 6:15 p.m., apparently from internal injuries he received during the wreck.

Arnold was a passenger in a pick-up being driven by Richard Rudolph, age 20, of Drew County.  The truck was traveling toward Midway Route, on Old Troy Road, in the area of Firing Range Road, when it crossed the roadway, traveled down an embankment, and struck a “metal carport” break area, where four Price Industries
employees were taking a break. (more…)

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Witnesses on the scene at Sav-A-Lot Friday afternoon, shortly after a 3:30 accident in which a GMC Envoy reportedly collided with a pedestrian crossing the parking lot toward the store, told MonticelloLive that “good Samaritans” nearby helped lift the vehicle up enough to remove the injured woman from under the vehicle.

Monticello Police and Fire & Rescuse responded.  MASI transported the pedestrian to Drew Memorial for treatment.