Friday's accident on 171 -- Safety Alert !

I just read Diane’s comments concerning the bad road conditions during last week’s snow event. The roads in Hot Spring and Garland counties became very bad in a very short period of time. As one of three Hot Spring County Sheriff’s Office employees with county provided four-wheel drive trucks, I am very busy during such bad weather. During the first good snow storm this year, I spent over twelve hours on Interstate 30 alone.

Last week I happened to be working the accident(s) on Highway 171 that Diane wrote about. Luckily no one was seriously hurt. We did however require an ambulance from Malvern. The ambulance could not return to Malvern due to road conditions and had to continue to Hot Springs. There were actually two vehicles that went over the edge into the ravine. With the occupants safe, these two vehicles were left behind to recover in better weather.

All told we had eight vehicles involved in this one accident scene. It took us roughly three hours to reopen the highway. Our first priority was keeping the accident from getting worse. That was hard to do in a blind curve on a hill. We had tried to get a State Trooper to stop traffic at the top of the hill but when he tried to stop his car, he continued down the hill, nearly running into a ditch while avoiding hitting the other cars stopped on the hill. Thankfully, our Diamondhead PD Officer Hilborn was on his way to Diamondhead in a four-wheel drive and was able to stop at the top of the hill and prevent other vehicles from following the Trooper’s lead. (We didn’t tease the Trooper too badly!)
Our second priority was getting the ambulance in and out. With vehicles scattered about, it took some effort, but we saw it off safely to Hot Springs. Our third priority was getting a very large box truck out of the way. Unable to proceed up the hill, we had to slowly back it down the hill to a drive way where it could safely turn around and return to Hot Springs. Our fourth priority was getting a wrecker in to pull two vehicles back onto the roadway and tow the damaged car. Confounding the wrecker’s efforts was a Highway Department road grader, two support trucks and a dump truck spreading sand. We had to stop the wrecker’s efforts to allow the Highway Department through.

All in all it was a big mess. It took first responders nearly half an hour to simply get to the scene. At one time we were concerned with losing more vehicles into the ravine to include a wrecker itself.
Early on we thought we might have had more than one accident with injury on 171. The first 911 reports put “an accident with injury” closer to Diamondhead near the county line and / or in the long straight stretch on 171. Lake Hamilton Fire Department first responders along with Lake Catherine State Park law enforcement officers came from one end while the ambulance, two wreckers, Rockport / Mount Willow Fire Department first responders and Hot Spring County Sheriff’s deputies came from the other.

In a day or two we are expecting an even bigger snow event. I ask that everyone stay home if at all possible and not to venture out unless absolutely necessary. If one does venture out onto the roadways, be patient and drive very carefully. Even if you are simply driving to the corner store, be sure to take warm clothing. You never know when something might happen and you end up walking in a blizzard.
If involved in an accident or witnessing an accident, call 911 and be as accurate as possible when describing the location and any possible injuries. 911 had two separate locations for accidents with injury on 171 at the same time. We came across the one Diane and I described while enroute to the other locations. Until a first responder traveled the entire length of 171 from Malvern to the State Park, we possibly had three accidents with injury. That took a good length of time and diverted resources sorely needed elsewhere.
When faced with multiple incidents, 911 dispatchers will prioritize the calls, first sending emergency responders to the worst situations. Every responder to the Highway 171 accident was already enroute to other accidents throughout Hot Spring County and elsewhere when the dispatcher diverted us. Thankfully this was the only accident requiring immediate medical attention.
Thank you to Diane and the other motorists for their patience. I saw lots of Diamondhead stickers pass by once we opened the highway again. Thank you to our officer Lee Hilborn for sitting at the top of the hill helping prevent the accident from getting any worse. Thank you to the state park officers for their quick response as well.
I surely hope I do not see you on official business during the next Arkansas blizzard!
Jerry McAnear Jr.
Diamondhead Resident