WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. — One highway worker was killed and another was injured after a high-speed chase in Arkansas earlier this week.
According to a release from Arkansas State Police (ASP), the West Memphis Police Department (WMPD) stopped a vehicle at around 10 p.m. on Sept. 18 for a traffic violation.
The suspect then fled at a "high rate of speed" and entered I-55 South heading into a construction zone, ASP said. During the chase, the suspect entered a construction zone, and two workers contracted with the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) were hit.
The suspect continued into Memphis, Tennessee, and remains at large. Their vehicle was found by the Memphis Police Department fully engulfed in flames, ASP said.
A release from ASP said that while state troopers were not involved in the pursuit, the ASP Criminal Investigation Division was asked to investigate.
One of the two workers, 36-year-old Justin Delgado of Lola, Texas, was killed in the crash and pronounced dead on the scene by the Crittenden County Coroner. The other worker was injured and transported to a nearby hospital, according to ASP.
ARDOT took to Facebook after the incident, posting in memory of the worker killed.
"We are sad to share that a contracted highway worker lost their life, and another was seriously injured last night on Interstate 55 in West Memphis," ARDOT shared.
"Men and women working in construction zones put their lives on the line every day. Whether it’s one of our own employees or one of our contractors, their safety is always our number one priority," ARDOT Director Lorie Tudor said. "Learning that we lost a contracted employee and that another was seriously injured in a work zone last night, Sept. 18, is a tragedy that weighs heavy on our hearts. Our deepest condolences are with the families of all those involved in this tragic incident."
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