PEA RIDGE — Less than half a mile and 26 hours apart, two accidents on Arkansas Highway 72 near Sugar Creek resulted in the deaths of three people.

One person died and two were injured in a two-car collision about 6:30 p.m. Saturday, according to Arkansas State Police.

Two people died Sunday night in a head-on two-car collision just west of the Sugar Creek bridge, according to police.

Killed Sunday were Amanda Michelle Martin, 23, of Pea Ridge,and Richard Copp, 39, of Fayetteville.

The wreck at 8:43 p.m. Sunday was the second in two days in the valley between Pea Ridge and Bentonville. Traffic was stalled or rerouted for more than an hour while emergency personnel worked to free the drivers.

Pea Ridge Fire Chief Frank Rizzio and his wife were returning to town from Bentonville when they drove upon the scene.

Rizzio responded immediately, administering aid to Martin while waiting for emergency personnelwho had been summed via 911 calls placed by several passersby. Of all the people standing on the roadside, all said they had not seen the collision, but two said they heard it.

On Saturday night, Matau Tauilo Jr., 55, of Bentonville, died when his vehicle crossed the center line and collided with a vehicle driven by Josh Patrick, 34, of Garfield. Patrickand his wife, Shandel, 33, were taken to hospitals for serious injuries, state police said.

On Sunday, according to police, Copp was westbound in a 1983 Oldsmobile Cutlass belonging to a Pea Ridge woman when he crossed the center line and collided with the eastbound 1999 red Honda Accord driven by Martin.

When police arrived,Martin’s vehicle was facing west in the east-bound lane; the vehicle Copp was driving was against a fence down an embankment on the north side of the road.

Benton County Coroner Daniel Oxford declared Copp dead on the scene at 9:21 p.m.

Martin was pronounced dead at the hospital where she had been transported by Bentonville ambulance.

News, Pages 1 on 08/03/2011