Car collision with tree sends Arkadelphia officer to hospital

An Arkadelphia police officer is recovering Wednesday after an early morning car accident in his assigned patrol unit.

Cpl. Billy Paul Chaves was on his way to work early Wednesday morning when he failed to negotiate a curve on Arkansas Highway 26.

According to an accident report, Chaves was traveling eastbound in a 2021 Dodge Charger and lost control of the vehicle just before the Helms Road intersection. The vehicle left the highway and collided with a tree before coming to a final rest. The accident happened at 4:20 a.m. on Sept. 11, 2024.

Firefighters were dispatched to the scene to extricate Chaves from the wreckage “due to the nearby trees keeping the door from opening,” the report states.

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office investigated the crash. The police vehicle was towed by Beene’s Towing & Recovery.

Chaves was initially transported to Baptist Health Medical Center-Arkadelphia with unlisted injuries, and was then med-flighted to CHI St. Vincent Hospital in Hot Springs. Police officials said Chaves had been released from the hospital by noon Wednesday.