GURDON, Ark. — On Thursday, a Clark County sheriff's deputy was involved in a head-on collision with a wrong-way driver on Interstate 30 near Gurdon.
According to Clark County Sheriff Jason Watson, the wrong-way driver, Satnam Singh, was taken into custody for an alcohol offense and for driving in the wrong direction.
Watson said the deputy noticed Singh in his "18-wheeler traveling westbound in the eastbound lane" while on his regular route.
According to Watson, the deputy immediately activated his emergency lights and sirens to stop the truck from hitting anyone during oncoming traffic.
Watson called his swift reaction "courageous" because he prevented anyone from getting hurt.
Arkansas Department of Transportation Public Information Officer Dave Parker called the situation a prime example of why they took on the detection sensor project to stop wrong-way drivers.
"The reason we're doing this is wrong-way crash numbers," Parker said. "We're getting out of hand, really concerning, not just in Arkansas, but nationwide."
Parker said it's a joint effort with authorities to get drivers' attention if they've made a wrong turn on an exit ramp. He also explained that it happens more often than you might think, especially on Interstate 440 and Highway 165.
Additionally, the project, in its entirety, cost roughly over $50 million.
ARDOT said 10 to 15 sensors are already active along Interstate 40. Parker said
ARDOT said 10 to 15 sensors are already activated and ready to go along Interstate 40. According to Parker, the goal is to expand these resources along other interstates in the future.
Parker said they expect to have all 161 completed by August 2025.
Information regarding the deputy involved in the crash will not be released at this time. Watson said he is expected to make a full recovery.