Manhunt for suspect who killed ARDOT employee

Police search for man who struck an ARDOT employee during police chase

By DONALD WILBURN

donaldfwilburn@gmail.com

The Arkansas State Police (ASP) and U.S. Marshals are actively searching for a Memphis man, identified as 23-year-old Calvion Dayshun Thomas, in connection with the death of an Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) worker during a high-speed chase in September. Thomas is accused of striking two construction workers on the I-55 bridge, killing one and seriously injuring another.

The fatal incident

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THOMAS MANHUNT

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occurred inSeptember, when West Memphis Police attempted to pull over a maroon Corvette for a traffic violation on East Broadway. The suspect sped off, heading southbound on Interstate 55 toward Memphis. Authorities say Thomas drove through a construction zone near mile marker three, where he allegedly struck two ARDOT contractors working on the bridge.

One of the workers, identified as 36-year-old Justin Delgado of Lola, Texas, was killed in the collision. The second worker, who has not been named, sustained serious injuries. Both men were employed by The Louis Company, a contracting firm based in Grain Valley, Missouri. A spokesperson for the company declined to comment on the incident.

Following the crash, Memphis Police located the suspect’s vehicle, burned and abandoned, in the 200 block of West McKellar Avenue in Memphis. Authorities believe Thomas fled the scene, and his whereabouts remain unknown.

In response to the tragedy, the city of West Memphis has formally requested that the Arkansas State Police lead the investigation. Mayor Marco McClendon expressed condolences to Delgado’s family and the injured worker and held a moment of silence for Delgado at last month’s City Council meeting.

While Arkansas State Troopers were not directly involved in the chase, they are working closely with the West Memphis Police Department on the investigation into the fatal incident.