A vehicle crash at the JFK Overlook in Cleburne County left one person dead and another injured Sunday morning, according to the Cleburne County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies were dispatched to the scene around 9:05 a.m. after receiving a report of a possible crash through the vehicle’s OnStar alert system. Upon arrival, they found a damaged fence near the overlook and discovered a vehicle at the bottom of the dam on the Little Red River side.
Investigators said the vehicle appeared to have gone through the fence, left the bluff, and overturned, hitting the dam before coming to a stop at the bottom.
Cleburne County Sheriff Chris Brown told Little Rock television outlet KARK that the vehicle was a pick-up truck.
Responders from multiple agencies, including the Arkansas State Police, the Corps of Engineers, and Tumbling Shoals Ida EMS, located two occupants inside the vehicle.
The driver, identified as Ismael Ponce, 30, of Clarksville, was ejected from the truck and pronounced dead at the scene.
A female passenger, Dafne Lopez, 18, of Union City, Tenn., was airlifted to a hospital in Little Rock. She is listed in stable but critical condition.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the factors that led to the crash. No further details have been released.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family during this tough time,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
Above: The aftermath of a pick-up truck that drove through the JFK Overlook and onto the Greers Ferry Dam Sunday morning. Screenshot via KARK.
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