Let us read it for you. Listen now. Your browser does not support the audio element. Little Rock police arrested a man on Monday after he allegedly hit a pedestrian bridge on West Markham Street earlier this month and drove away. John Jaynes, 60, turned himself in on Monday and pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of leaving the scene of an accident that caused over $10,000 in property damage, along with a traffic violation for careless driving, according to court records. Detectives used information from the department’s Real Time Crime Center and video from nearby cameras to identify Jaynes as the truck driver involved in the collision with the pedestrian bridge close to the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind, as stated in the release. According to court records, Jaynes was released after posting a recognizance bond. Engineers found that the collision inflicted so much damage on the bridge that repairs weren’t possible, leading to demolition work starting Tuesday. City officials are exploring alternatives for a new pedestrian crossing at Markham to replace the damaged bridge, as recently informed members of the Little Rock Board of Directors. The board is set to hold a special meeting on Tuesday where they’ll vote on an emergency plan to pay Weaver-Bailey Contractors up to $102,185 for demolition services. This amount includes a 20% contingency fee. “While Arkansas law permits the waiver of competitive bidding during emergencies, the Department of Public Works nevertheless solicited written proposals from multiple experienced bridge contractors to ensure the City received competitive pricing and qualified services,” board documents state. Weaver-Bailey Contractors from Conway was chosen from three proposals submitted.
Grant Lancaster
glancaster@adgnewsroom. com Grant Lancaster covers crime, policing and breaking news for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. A Little Rock native, his articles focus primarily on crime and law enforcement efforts in Pulaski County, although he reports on other parts of the state as well. TitleComments
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