Conway, AR — July 5, 2025, Courtney Roden was killed and Delois Stacks was injured in a car accident at about 10:50 a.m. on U.S. Route 64.

Authorities said a 2024 Kawasaki motorcycle was heading east when it crashed into a 2014 Honda that was entering the highway from Sherry Street.

Motorcyclist Courtney Roden, 31, of Vilonia died in the crash, according to authorities. Honda driver Delois Stacks, 28, of Conway suffered unspecified injuries.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the Faulkner County crash at this time. The accident is still being investigated.

Commentary

In the wake of a deadly crash, there’s always a push to make sense of what happened. That clarity can’t come from surface-level observations or assumptions; it has to be built from a thorough investigation, one that refuses to leave important stones unturned.

Did the authorities thoroughly investigate the crash? Motorcycle collisions often unfold in fractions of a second, and reconstructing them requires more than simply reviewing physical damage. A thorough investigation should consider whether officers conducted laser-based measurements, mapped out each vehicle’s final position and reviewed nearby surveillance or witness accounts to understand how and why the vehicles came together. It’s worth asking whether investigators examined how long the Honda had been entering the highway and whether the motorcycle had a realistic chance to avoid impact. The level of experience and training among crash investigators can be a factor here. Some officers are well-equipped for such analysis, but not all departments have that expertise.

Has anyone looked into the possibility that a vehicle defect caused the crash? In cases like this, there’s a tendency to focus solely on driver choices. But if either vehicle malfunctioned — say, if the Honda hesitated due to a throttle issue or if the motorcycle experienced brake failure — then a very different picture emerges. These possibilities aren’t always obvious at the scene. Confirming or ruling them out requires a mechanical inspection, ideally by someone with no stake in the outcome. Without that step, any conclusions about fault are premature.

Has all the electronic data relating to the crash been collected? Modern vehicles, even motorcycles, can yield useful data after a crash. Did the bike's systems register any last-second braking or swerving? Was the Honda equipped with GPS or an infotainment system that logged driver behavior? Phone records, dash cams and nearby traffic cameras could all shed light on whether distraction played a role or if either party tried to avoid the collision. Without that information, it’s easy to miss critical context.

In any serious collision, especially one involving a fatality, jumping to conclusions only delays justice. A full and fair accounting depends on going deeper; asking the harder questions and being open to less obvious answers.

Key Takeaways:

• Scene investigations must go beyond surface-level observations to capture what really happened.
• Mechanical issues in either vehicle could have influenced the crash and need to be checked.
• Electronic data offers objective insight and should always be reviewed when available.