A Pocahontas man was arrested Friday in connection with a hit-and-run crash on Interstate 555 that killed two Paragould residents, Arkansas State Police said.
25-year-old Taylor David Rhoades was taken into custody by state police special agents following a fatal incident that occurred around 7:30 p.m. Thursday near the 23-mile marker of I-555, near Trumann.
Authorities said Rhoades was driving a 2010 Ford Focus northbound when his vehicle struck two men standing near a disabled car on the highway shoulder. 36-year-old Tyler Slayton and 31-year-old Jacob Ward were changing a flat tire when they were hit. Both men were pronounced dead at the scene by the Poinsett County deputy coroner.
A Poinsett County sheriff’s deputy later spotted Rhoades’ damaged vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. Investigators said evidence gathered during the stop connected Rhoades to the crash.
Rhoades is charged with negligent homicide, driving while intoxicated, careless or prohibited driving, and leaving the scene of an accident involving injuries. He appeared Monday in Poinsett County District Court, where his bond was set at $100,000.
He remains in custody at the Poinsett County Detention Center in Harrisburg.
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