Region & State

Former Sparkman man struck at Oaklawn crosswalk

A Benton man succumbed to injuries suffered from being struck by a vehicle while attempting to cross a busy Hot Springs street.

Jason Reece Givens, 48, of Benton, died Sunday, Dec. 18, at CHI St. Vincent’s Hospital, where he was taken after being hit on the 2700 block of Central Avenue.

According to a fatal crash summary filed Tuesday by Arkansas State Police, Givens was crossing Highway 7 headed away from Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in a marked crosswalk when he was struck by a southbound Nissan Xterra. The driver, who was unidentified in the report, failed to see Givens, according to the report.

The accident happened at 6:15 p.m. under clear weather and dry road conditions, according to Officer Shawn Lowrey of the Hot Springs Police Department.

Givens’ body was transported to Ashby Funeral Home in Benton. His obituary says he was born and raised in Sparkman, that he studied at Henderson State University, and names his surviving spouse as Stephanie Givens, a principal at Arkadelphia Public Schools according to a directory on the district’s website.