According to the church, the pastor and his son, Bo Henry, were hospitalized and have since stabilized.
An Arkansas pastor and his family are grieving after they were engaged in a tragic accident that claimed two of his daughters' lives and injured him and his son. On May 25, a Union Pacific train collided with a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado that was crossing the rails in Clark County, per a statement from the pastor's church and the Arkansas State Police.
Just before 2 p.m. local time, the train collided with the passenger side of a vehicle going east on Richwoods Road near Arkadelphia, per PEOPLE. At the time, Pastor Chad Fryar and his three children, two daughters and one son, were inside the van, per NBC affiliate KARK. The two daughters, Marley Jo and Dana Kate Fryar passed away.
Ron Riddle, the head pastor of Crossroads Cowboy Church, expressed his heartfelt sympathies for the family as they go through this loss. “I cried a lot of tears yesterday,” Riddle said. “Chad and Rachel have become like our own children. Their kids called us Nana and Po.”
“My other granddaughter passed away about six months ago,” Riddle said. “It has brought our church family closer because of that, and I know this is going to as well.”
According to the church, the pastor and his son, Bo Henry, were hospitalized and have since stabilized. "We are devastated by yesterday’s tragic events and the loss of Marlee Jo and Dana Kate," Riddle said in a Facebook post. "Please continue to pray for their healing."
Chad had just preached in Bismarck the previous Sunday, as he does on a weekly basis. The message, which was broadcast on the church's Facebook page, was about planting seeds of faith. Riddle stated that in the aftermath of this tragedy, he, his church group, and the other Fryar family members are now relying on faith. “While they are devastated, their faith of God is strong it’s intact,” Riddle said.
'I cried a lot of tears yesterday': Arkansas pastor's two daughter are killed when train hits their truck and pushes it a half-mile down the road - preacher and his son are fighting for their lives pic.twitter.com/asecL7wJtf
— News News News (@NewsNew97351204) May 29, 2023
Chad and his wife Rachel were instrumental in the establishment of CrossRoads Cowboy Church in Bismarck. “They have been with us from the beginning and we consider them family,” Riddle wrote on Facebook. “They have a solid faith and understanding of God...we know this solid foundation will help them navigate this difficult time."
Union Pacific Railroad is investigating the mishap and has determined that no one was harmed aboard the train.
So Tragic! An Arkansas pastor’s two daughters were killed by a train that struck their truck. Please keep their family in your prayers. Read more below:https://t.co/0CCIUYe31O pic.twitter.com/7dpem6BayF
— End Time Headlines (@EndTimeHeadline) May 30, 2023
Riddle described the pastor's family as "the kind of friends and church family you want to have." He admitted that it's difficult to understand why things like this occur, but as a pastor, he trusts in God's purpose. "Life has no guarantees," Riddle said to THV11. "God gives us life one second at a time without ever promising us that another second is coming."
References:
https://people.com/arkansas-pastor-2-daughters-die-train-crashes-into-family-truck-7505039
https://www.kark.com/news/local-news/bismarck-pastor-family-hit-by-train-daughters-killed-in-crash/
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=558573189772810&set=pb.100068604010570.-2207520000
Cover Image Source: Facebook | CrossRoads Cowboy Church, El Paso, Arkansas
