Three vehicles were involved in a collision that killed one person and left another injured Wednesday afternoon in Fordyce.
According to a preliminary fatal crash summary posted by Arkansas State Police, the driver of a 2020 Freightliner failed to yield while crossing US Highway 79 from West 4th Street. A southbound 2007 Peterbilt struck a passenger vehicle in an attempt to avoid hitting the Freightliner, ultimately colliding with both vehicles.
The driver of the southbound 2020 Toyota Corolla, 72-year-old James M. Kidd, of Camden, was killed in the crash. His passenger, Terry L. Ware, 65, was taken to Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Pine Bluff for treatment to her injuries.
Kidd’s body was taken to Benton Funeral Home in Fordyce.
The report does not name the driver of either tractor-trailer.
State Trooper Joshua Smeltzer, who investigated the crash, noted dry roads and cloudy skies at the time of the crash, 2:30 p.m. on April 29, 2026.
The collision marked the 130th fatal accident on Arkansas highways since Jan. 1, 2026.
Editor’s Note: Preliminary Arkansas State Police fatality reports sometimes contain information that turns out to be inaccurate. Typical errors include spelling errors in names, or incorrect ages; outdated hometown information; vehicle direction of travel; and incident times. The ASP sometimes corrects these errors in updated reports. ASP reports omit names of passengers or drivers who are not injured, even in instances when uninjured drivers may appear to be at fault. The reports also omit names of juveniles who were injured or killed, although we report those names when obtained through other sources.