State troopers are sorting through the details of a fatal collision that took the life of 38-year-old Salvador Gonzalez Elizalde on Wednesday evening. The accident occurred on State Highway 88 East in the rural community of Ink, just outside Mena.
Corporal Zechariah Whitney of the Arkansas State Police filed the initial report on the crash. Investigators noted that a 2011 white Chevrolet pickup truck was traveling eastbound near 3108 Highway 88 East around 8:18 p.m. when Elizalde was struck in the roadway.
Weather conditions were clear and the asphalt was completely dry when the collision happened. First responders arrived shortly after the emergency call and transported Elizalde to Mena Regional Health System, where doctors pronounced him deceased.
Elizalde was a well-known entrepreneur and healthcare worker across Polk County. He ran a local lawn care service alongside his Fat Bottoms Barbecue food truck, which was a regular staple at area events. Friends and coworkers remembered him as a hardworking father who gave back to his town every chance he got.
He leaves behind his wife, Stephanie Karol Laws Elizalde, and two young children, Gabriel and Sophia. Born in Mexico in 1988, Elizalde spent years putting down deep roots in the Mena area through his nursing work, local businesses, and active personal life.
The tragedy has sparked quiet conversations among locals about nighttime pedestrian safety along rural stretches of Highway 88. The two-lane road sees steady vehicle traffic during evening hours, with few streetlights past the city limits.
Beasley-Wood Funeral Home in Mena is handling cremation services for the family. A public memorial service will be announced in the coming days as state police wrap up their crash investigation.
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