Donald McLaughlin Killed in Pedestrian Accident on North Walton Blvd in Bentonville, AR
Bentonville, AR — November 26, 2022, 71-year-old pedestrian Donald McLaughlin was hit and killed by a vehicle on North Walton Boulevard in Benton County.
Authorities say the incident happened around 6:40 p.m. on North Walton at Tiger Boulevard. Preliminary investigation suggests only that McLaughlin was on foot and may have been crossing through Walton when he was struck and fatally injured by a northbound Tesla vehicle. No other injuries were reported.
No further information is available at this time.
Commentary on Donald McLaughlin Accident in Bentonville
There's still a lot of missing information here, but people have a tendency to quickly write off most pedestrian accidents. I've heard "Either they were in a crosswalk or they were at fault" more times than I care to count. However, virtually every accident--including those with pedestrians--deserves careful attention and investigation.
There are still many questions to resolve here: How long was the victim in the road before the car passed through? Why was he there? Where did he come from and where was he headed? How visible was he--is that area lit after sundown? Was the driver awake, alert, and paying attention to the road? Were the Tesla's headlights on? Was anything wrong with it mechanically? Did other drivers successfully avoid the victim? Could anything else have been done to avoid the collision or reduce its damage?
I'm not accusing anyone of wrongdoing here or saying I know more than police. I'm only saying what I so often do: Preliminary reports are sometimes incomplete or mistaken, and it's important not to treat them as the final word. It's always best to carefully investigate all the possible factors in search of the whole truth. The victim's loved ones deserve no less.
