Someone struck a pedestrian on State Highway 326 in the pre-dawn hours of November 15 and kept going, leaving 82-year-old George Sanborn critically injured on the pavement in Happy Valley while the driver disappeared westbound into the darkness. Arkansas State Police were dispatched around 6:45 a.m. after a passerby reported seeing a man down near the roadway close to Gum Log, just north of Russellville. Troopers arrived to find Sanborn gravely hurt, the severity of his injuries making it clear he needed immediate, advanced medical care.
Emergency responders quickly coordinated an airlift, transporting him to UAMS in Little Rock in an effort to give him the best chance of survival. But from the moment rescue workers reached him, his condition was described as critical. Despite the medical team’s efforts, Sanborn succumbed to his injuries early Sunday morning, November 16, turning the case from a hit-and-run crash into a fatality investigation.
Authorities say the vehicle that struck him was heading westbound at the time and likely has front-end or undercarriage damage consistent with pedestrian impact. No witnesses have yet come forward, and investigators are urging anyone who was driving on Highway 326 before sunrise that day—or anyone living nearby with home security cameras—to review footage or memories for anything unusual. Even small details, they say, could help trace the driver.
Sanborn death has devastated the small community, where he was known as a quiet, friendly neighbor who walked regularly in the early morning hours. His family is now left with grief compounded by the knowledge that someone fled rather than help him. Arkansas State Police continue to collect evidence and follow leads, hoping to identify the driver responsible and bring closure to those mourning a life ended by someone else’s choice to flee instead of stop.
