HOPE, Ark. – Ten days after an Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) worker was killed in a hit-and-run crash, an arrest has been made.
The Arkansas State Police (ASP) announced on Thursday that George Willis, 64, of Texarkana has been charged with Leaving the Scene of a Collision Involving Death, a Class B felony, in connection with the July 21 death of a road worker.
Arkansas State Police says Special Agents identified Willis and made arrangements for him to turn himself in at the Hempstead County Detention Center.
ASP says he was taken into custody at 12:55 p.m. on Thursday.
His bond has been set at $25,000.
At approximately 1 a.m. on Monday, July 21, ASP Troopers responded to a fatal hit-and-run collision near the 18-mile marker of Interstate 30. The victim, Jonathan Gary Williams, 44, of Sherwood, was working as an Arkansas Department of Transportation contractor at the time of the incident. Williams was operating from a specialized trailer, applying reflectors to the roadway center line, when he was struck and killed by a 2004 Buick Century.
The Buick was disabled at the scene and abandoned. Witnesses said the driver fled on foot.
The incident was one of three that occurred in the early morning hours of July 21.
The Arkansas State Police (ASP) said at the time that the wrecks occurred between Hope and Fulton going westbound and were responsible for three deaths and several injuries. One crash included three 18-wheelers, and another was the hit and run that killed Williams.
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
