Couple Injured When SUV Struck by Semi on I-30

A Hot Springs couple was injured when their SUV was rear-ended by a semi on I-30 and sent off the highway and into a tree just after midnight Monday morning.

According to their son, Kevin Hall, John and Linda Hall had been out driving and went the wrong direction while trying to return to Hot Springs. Kevin said he located them via a GPS that his sister was able to track online. Kevin said he met up with his parents and the three of the began to caravan back to Hot Springs together. Kevin said he was following them in his truck and that his parents were driving slower than interstate traffic. He said that he passed them to make a quick restroom stop in Prescott, expecting to catch back up with them when he got back on the interstate. Kevin said his sister contacted him and told him that she had lost the GPS signal. When he arrived at their last known location, he found emergency responders already on scene.

John and Linda Hall were traveling east on I-30 near the 33 mile marker just after midnight when a tractor trailer from Roberts Trucking, in New Albany, MS, struck them from behind, sending the elderly couple’s Ford Expedition off the right side of the interstate where it struck a large pine tree with the front passenger side of the SUV.

Arkansas State Police, Hempstead County Sheriff’s Office, Arkansas Highway Police, Pafford EMS and Hope Fire Department were dispatched to the crash. The first ambulance on scene requested a medical helicopter  and a second ambulance for Mrs. Hall. Firefighters and law enforcement assisted Pafford in safely extricated the Halls from the Expedition. Firefighters had to completely remove the passenger door to get her out as safely as possible.

Mr. Hall was transported emergency status by ground to a Texarkana hospital. Mrs. Hall was transported to Emergency Circle in Hope and flown to hospital by LifeNet EMS out of Texarkana.

Arkansas State Police are investigating the crash. Arkansas Highway Police were going over the truck driver’s logs and vehicle after the crash. There is no information available at this time as to if there were violations and any citations for the driver.