Judge Rob Ratton has set a new trial date for a man accused of the deadly multi-vehicle crash in Jackson County.
The trial date originally scheduled for Monday, March 3rd was changed to Monday, July 7th.
Charles Benham was arrested on Wednesday September 18th on suspicion of felony reckless burning.
The arrest occurred as a result of a crash that happened on Oct. 3, 2023, at the 99-mile marker of Hwy 67, authorities say this is the result of smoke from a burning field causing low visibility.
Prosecutors say Benham, who worked for Cason Farms, started the fire and then left it unattended for approximately 30 minutes.
According to the ASP fatal crash report as vehicles began to enter the smoke, a chain reaction crash occurred involving five commercial and 11 passenger cars.
Thomas Blevins, age 68, of Logan, Ohio, and Terry Lutz, age 55, of Somerset, Ohio, both died as a result of the crash.
Six other people were reported injured: 42-year-old Alfonso Hernandez, of Los Fresnos, Texas; 59-year-old Greg Redford, of Elkville, Illinois; 39-year-old Sara Guajardo, of Painesville, Ohio; 21-year-old Emma Vosburg, of Newark, Arkansas; 45-year-old Brittany Cricher of Newark, Arkansas; and 42-year-old Eric Tharp of Newport, Arkansas.
Benham was arrested and is being held at the Jackson County jail.
The Third Judicial Prosecutor’s office stated that no other charges against the landowner or anyone else at Cason Farms.