Arkansas: Truck Driver Removed at Gunpoint on I-55 Bridge (one way)

Source: Arkansas State Police

West Memphis, Arkansas – August 26, 2025 – A dramatic police intervention unfolded Tuesday on the I-55 bridge between Arkansas and Tennessee, when a semi-truck driving the wrong way was stopped at gunpoint by Arkansas State Police.

Witness Raleigh May Cupples described the harrowing moment:

“The big truck gets over in the right lane, and that’s when I see that truck. My first thought was, is this a truck hooked up to another truck pulling it?”

Video captured just moments earlier shows the semi-truck indeed traveling in the wrong direction.

According to Cupples, a state trooper jumped over the median with his weapon drawn and attempted to order the driver out. When the man refused, the officer tried to pull him from the cab. Moments later, two additional troopers – one with a rifle – joined in. Together, the officers managed to forcibly remove the driver and bring him to the ground.

Authorities have not yet released the driver’s identity or explained why he was driving the wrong way. The incident highlights ongoing concerns about highway safety in one of the region’s busiest corridors.