Jose Ibarra Ponce Killed in Fayetteville, Arkansas Construction Accident — December 15, 2025 Road Grader Incident

Jose Ibarra Ponce, a 36-year-old resident of Prairie Grove, died following a construction site accident in Fayetteville, Arkansas, authorities confirmed. The incident occurred on December 15, 2025, at a work zone near East Rolling Hills Drive and North Old Missouri Road. Emergency responders were dispatched shortly after 10:20 a.m. after reports of a critically injured worker at the site.

According to investigative accounts provided by local fire and police departments, Ponce was operating a heavy motor grader when the equipment experienced a brake failure and began rolling downhill. Witnesses stated that Ponce attempted to escape the moving vehicle but was struck by the blade and run over by one of the wheels. He sustained severe chest injuries and multiple fractures. Despite immediate life-saving efforts at the scene and transport to a nearby hospital, Jose Ibarra Ponce was pronounced dead from his injuries.