A Newark man involved in an April 4 accident where his motorized wheelchair was hit by a vehicle from behind has passed away due to his injuries, according to authorities.
Walter Gene Watson, 61, was driving his motorized wheelchair east on Sixth Street in Newark around 6 a.m. on April 4 when the wheelchair was hit from behind by a 2013 GMC Terrain driven by Carolyn Sue Blue of Newark, according to the crash report from the Independence County Sheriff’s Department.
After the wheelchair was struck, it went off the left side of the roadway. The Terrain went off the right side of the road — striking a sign, a chainlink fence, and a tree before it came to a rest.
The crash report noted Watson’s wheelchair did not have any reflective gear visible to the eyesight or any lights. It was also raining, and the road conditions were wet at the time of the accident, according to the report.
Watson was transported to White River Medical Center for emergency treatment and then transferred to UAMS in Little Rock.
On April 13, authorities advised that Watson passed away earlier in the day from injuries sustained in the incident.
In the police report released this week, there were no citations issued in the accident.
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