FORT SMITH, Ark. — Two people are dead and four are injured after a crash in Prairie County on Monday, July 22, according to Arkansas State Police (ASP).
On Monday morning, a Fort Smith family was headed back home from Florida when a driver headed the wrong way hit them head-on. The accident would take the lives of the soon-to-be husband and his mother while the mother of 9 was sent to the ICU.
The crash report states that a 2018 Nissan with five people inside was traveling west on I-40 at around 1:56 a.m.
At the same time, a 2008 Chevy with a single driver was reportedly going the wrong way —east in the westbound lane— near mile marker 198 when the two cars crashed head-on. The report says the Nissan steered to the left, and the Chevy steered to the right before the crash.
The crash killed two passengers in the Nissan, 47-year-old James Southerland of Fort Smith and 66-year-old Cynthia Brown of South Carolina, ASP confirmed.
The driver of the Nissan, Tiffany Nance, and two minor passengers were also injured, along with the driver of the Chevy.
"She's always looking for the positive. She stays away from negativity. She is a hard worker, she is so selfless, and she is an awesome mother who loves her children like no other," Shelia Marley said.
Marley is the mother of Tiffany Nance. She told 5NEWS that Nance is a mother of 9 and a Mercy nurse in Fort Smith. She explained that she had taken Southerland and his family to Florida for a vacation.
"This was a surprise vacation to him. He had been working very hard. I was trying to help financially and help take care of the new baby. He was so happy," Marley explained.
According to Marley, the family was returning home from Florida on I-40 near Hazen, Arkansas when the driver hit them head-on.
"This was not her fault, and now she has lost her significant other, and her new baby no longer has a daddy. She doesn't even know it yet," Marley said. "She has written on paper asking about him almost daily, and because of her injuries, they have decided not to tell her about him, yet.
Marley spoke to 5NEWS through a video call while she joined her daughter at the bedside in UAMS Little Rock.
Marley says she's overwhelmed, knowing Nance has a long road to recovery. She described Nance's injuries as internal bleeding, open wounds, and her right side as "a shattered mess," with fractured bones from the knee up.
"I am just trying to get through second by second because if I think about next week or next month, I break down and I cry and I just I can't stop. So I just have to stay in the moment and be here for my daughter," Marley said.
While Tiffany faced her battles in Little Rock, coworkers and friends from Fort Smith, like Shawna Crowson, have stepped in to help.
"Tiffany and I met a couple of years ago when I was working at Mercy. She's a charge nurse there at night. She's one of the most compassionate nurses that I know," Shawna Crowson said.
"We're just trying to keep her life going so she has one to go back to when she's better," Crowson explained.
Marley said that while her family doesn't usually ask for help, her coworkers and friends are a "godsend." She adds that everyone continues to text her as Tiffany continues her operations and recovery process. That includes Tiffany's own children.
"I just, I don't think I could come up with the strength to ever tell them 'No, your mom's not okay,'" Marley said. "I can only go one second at a time. I know I should have a million questions for doctors, but all I can do is just look at her and be grateful that she's still here."
Marley said that both minors in the accident had been ejected from the vehicle, while Tiffany had been pinned between the dashboard and another object. Crowson said that one minor currently has a broken back while the baby involved in the accident has a fractured leg, lacerated liver, and also a possible skull fracture. Both Marley and Crowson are unaware of the other driver's injuries.
When Tiffany is stable, her family would like to move her to Fort Smith where she can be closer to her children.
If you'd like to help Tiffany and her family in their recovery, you can make donations to their GoFundMe.
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