Trucker arrested after striking pedestrian on I-30 in Clark County

By JOEL PHELPS | arkadelphian.com

A truck driver faces criminal charges after allegedly leaving the scene of a deadly accident on Interstate 30 in south Clark County, Arkansas.

Silver Rigoberto Flores, 66, was arrested Wednesday, Feb. 28, in Caddo Valley. An affidavit filed by Arkansas State Police names Flores as a suspect in a hit-and-run that left a fellow truck driver dead on the shoulder at the 58 eastbound mile-marker, between the Okolona and Gurdon exits.

The deceased was named as Sabino Antonio Hernandez Espinoza, 59, of Tecámac, Mexico. According to police documents, Espinoza had exited his vehicle due to mechanical issues and was placing warning placards behind his stopped tractor trailer. As he was doing so, another eastbound truck “left the roadway, collided with the parked tractor trailer, and then collided with the victim,” according to witness statements included in a probable cause affidavit.

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office was notified by 911 at 9:51 a.m.

A witness described the suspect vehicle and said the driver continued eastbound. Law enforcement then began looking for the suspect vehicle. Following a “brief search” of the area a state trooper located a white tractor trailer matching the description at the Pilot Truck Stop in Caddo Valley. An affidavit notes the truck had damage to its passenger side consistent with damage that would have occurred at the accident scene.

Sgt. Russ Rhodes of the Criminal Investigation Division, who located the vehicle, made contact with Flores at the truck stop. Flores reportedly admitted that he struck a parked truck on the interstate and continued driving east.

Flores was arrested at the scene and transported to the Clark County Detention Center, where he was held on a $25,000 bond. Arraignment is set for April 2 in Clark County Circuit Court.

Police are charging Flores with Leaving the Scene of an Accident Involving Death or Personal Injuries.