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Arkansas State Trooper Line of Duty Death 9-12-05
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Story in the Evening Times - West Memphis, AR
Story in the Evening Times - West Memphis, AR
Local state trooper killed
By Jamie Brockwell
Evening Times Staff Writer and The Associated Press
An Arkansas State Police trooper died early this morning from injuries sustained after he was struck by another trooper during a chase just outside of West Memphis yesterday evening.
According to the state police, Trooper Mark W. Carthron, 31, of West Memphis, was picking up a stop strip he had just deployed on Interstate 40 to stop two armed robbery suspects when he was struck by another trooper's patrol car.
Police say that the suspects, who have been identified as Reginald Dixon, 27, and Wesley Jefferson, 26, both of West Memphis, had allegedly stolen a car in West Memphis and were fleeing the scene of an armed robbery that occurred at a gas station in Forrest City when police began pursuing them.
The stop sticks disabled the vehicle and the two men were taken into custody just past the accident scene. Both suspects were transported back to the St. Francis County jail.
A determination had not been officially made as of this morning about charging the two with Carthron's death.
According to state police, the accident occurred at about 6:30 p.m. on I-40 near the 267-mile marker just east of the O'Neal Road overpass. Carthron had exited his patrol car to deploy spike strips in an attempt to deflate the tires of the suspect vehicle that was being pursued east bound on I-40 out of Forrest City by other troopers and police officers.
"Corporal Carthron's efforts to stop the fleeing vehicle and its occupants were successful. However, as he was retrieving the spike strips from the roadway, he was struck by a patrol car driven by Arkansas State Trooper Corporal Lowry Astin, 44, of Forrest City," state police said.
Corporal Carthron was transported by the AirWing medical helicopter to The Med in Memphis where he was pronounced dead at 12:31 this morning.
State police spokesman Bill Sadler said that an internal investigation into the accident has begun and will probably take about a week to complete. Sadler didn't have immediate word on Astin's status this morning.
State police commander Col. Steve Dozier, who flew in from Little Rock to be with the family at The Med shortly after the accident, says Carthron had been with the agency for eight years.
"Corporal Carthron died in the line of duty and while serving his state and our citizens as an Arkansas State Trooper," Dozier said. "It was eight years ago last week that Mark joined this department and in that short time he has demonstrated a proud career of deeply rooted service and duty."
Carthron is survived by his wife, Angela, who works as a deputy clerk at West Memphis District Court, his parents Thomas and Doris Carthron of Texarkana and a brother Thomas Carthron Jr., of Atlanta.
State police arranged for the Carthrons to be flown in immediately from Texarkana to be with their son at the hospital. No funeral arrangements for Corporal Carthron have been set.
Story in the Evening Times - West Memphis, AR
Local state trooper killed
By Jamie Brockwell
Evening Times Staff Writer and The Associated Press
An Arkansas State Police trooper died early this morning from injuries sustained after he was struck by another trooper during a chase just outside of West Memphis yesterday evening.
According to the state police, Trooper Mark W. Carthron, 31, of West Memphis, was picking up a stop strip he had just deployed on Interstate 40 to stop two armed robbery suspects when he was struck by another trooper's patrol car.
Police say that the suspects, who have been identified as Reginald Dixon, 27, and Wesley Jefferson, 26, both of West Memphis, had allegedly stolen a car in West Memphis and were fleeing the scene of an armed robbery that occurred at a gas station in Forrest City when police began pursuing them.
The stop sticks disabled the vehicle and the two men were taken into custody just past the accident scene. Both suspects were transported back to the St. Francis County jail.
A determination had not been officially made as of this morning about charging the two with Carthron's death.
According to state police, the accident occurred at about 6:30 p.m. on I-40 near the 267-mile marker just east of the O'Neal Road overpass. Carthron had exited his patrol car to deploy spike strips in an attempt to deflate the tires of the suspect vehicle that was being pursued east bound on I-40 out of Forrest City by other troopers and police officers.
"Corporal Carthron's efforts to stop the fleeing vehicle and its occupants were successful. However, as he was retrieving the spike strips from the roadway, he was struck by a patrol car driven by Arkansas State Trooper Corporal Lowry Astin, 44, of Forrest City," state police said.
Corporal Carthron was transported by the AirWing medical helicopter to The Med in Memphis where he was pronounced dead at 12:31 this morning.
State police spokesman Bill Sadler said that an internal investigation into the accident has begun and will probably take about a week to complete. Sadler didn't have immediate word on Astin's status this morning.
State police commander Col. Steve Dozier, who flew in from Little Rock to be with the family at The Med shortly after the accident, says Carthron had been with the agency for eight years.
"Corporal Carthron died in the line of duty and while serving his state and our citizens as an Arkansas State Trooper," Dozier said. "It was eight years ago last week that Mark joined this department and in that short time he has demonstrated a proud career of deeply rooted service and duty."
Carthron is survived by his wife, Angela, who works as a deputy clerk at West Memphis District Court, his parents Thomas and Doris Carthron of Texarkana and a brother Thomas Carthron Jr., of Atlanta.
State police arranged for the Carthrons to be flown in immediately from Texarkana to be with their son at the hospital. No funeral arrangements for Corporal Carthron have been set.
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