UPDATE, 2 p.m., May 13, 2024: A longtime Batesville pharmacist and business leader and his wife were identified as the two victims of a single-engine plane crash in Lee County Sunday night.
Joseph “Steve” Bryant, 72, and Sharon Bryant, 73, died in the crash of the Piper PA46-500TP near Marianna, Ark., according to Arkansas State Police.
Bryant owned Bryant’s Pharmacy & Health Care on Harrison Street in Batesville. State Police said the plane was returning to Batesville from Florida.
In an interview with Jonesboro television outlet KAIT, Batesville Mayor Rick Elumbaugh said Bryant was a community-minded individual.
“We’re just extremely saddened and devastated,” Elumbaugh said of the couple’s passing.
“He was just a good friend. Our hearts and prayers go out to [their] two daughters and family,” the mayor said. “It’s heartbreaking.”
Click here for the article from KAIT.
EARLIER:
A single-engine plane traveling from Florida to the Batesville airport crashed Sunday night near Marianna, Ark., killing the two individuals onboard.
According to a release from the Arkansas State Police, family members of the victims, concerned after not hearing from them, contacted the West Helena Police Department (WHPD) around 8 p.m. At approximately 9 p.m., the Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) dispatch received a report of a possible plane crash.
At around 9:30 p.m., first responders located the single-engine plane in a field approximately 12 miles southeast of Marianna’s city limits. Responders found two deceased individuals inside the aircraft. There were no other passengers aboard.
The victims were identified as Joseph Bryant, 72, and Sharon Bryant, 73. The residence of the two individuals was not listed in the release.
The State Police transferred the investigation to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). On Monday, the NTSB confirmed it is investigating the crash and identified the privately-owned aircraft as a Piper PA46-500TP.
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