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Last updated on Thursday, November 6, 2014
(HOPE, ARK.) - Arkansas State Police say five people from Indiana were killed when their van crashed into a tractor-trailer on Interstate 30 in southwest Arkansas.
State police say the collision happened Tuesday night near Hope. According to a preliminary report, the van veered into the tractor-trailer, causing the van to crash into the median.
All five occupants of the van were killed. State police identified the victims as 77-year-old Ronald Pate, 81-year-old Phillip Pate, 75-year-old Donna Pate, 69-year-old Connie Richards and 70-year-old Gloria Bryant.
State police say the three members of the Pate family were from Bloomington, while Richards was from Fishers and Bryant was from Solsberry.
Hempstead County Coroner Ben Brazzel tells the Hope Star that the victims were all traveling back to Indiana after visiting Houston, Texas.
Arkansas State Police say the accident happened just before 7 p.m. on I-30 East and involved an 18-wheeler and a minivan. All 5 victims were in the minivan.
Arkansas State Police's crash report says that a Dodge van driven by 77-year-old Ronald Pate, was traveling east in the left lane partially on the shoulder when it reportedly made a sudden left turn into the semi truck. The truck struck the driver's side of the van pushing the van into the median between eastbound and westbound routes of I-30.
The driver of the 18-wheeler, 32-year-old Sheldon Schultz of Wisconsin, was not injured.
The crash remains under investigation.
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