A late-night shift at an Arkansas Waffle House turned deadly when an SUV crashed through the restaurant and pinned an employee underneath the vehicle, authorities said.
Tracy Long, 59, of Conway, was working inside the Waffle House in Maumelle when the vehicle slammed into the building shortly after midnight on Sunday, September 27.
Maumelle police said officers were called to the restaurant on State Highway 365 at approximately 12:25 a.m. after receiving reports that a vehicle had entered the building.
Long was struck and trapped beneath the vehicle.
She suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead following the crash.
Police arrested 34-year-old Ranisha Peebles, who authorities identified as the driver.
Peebles was charged with negligent homicide, driving while intoxicated, refusal to submit to a chemical test, reckless driving and obstructing governmental operations.
She has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Local reporting initially described the vehicle involved as a dark SUV. Arkansas reporting later identified it as an Infiniti QX56, so avoiding a specific make in the headline is safer than describing it as a Lexus.
The crash remains under investigation, and authorities have not publicly released a detailed explanation of what caused the SUV to leave the roadway and enter the restaurant.
Long’s death has devastated family members and friends, who said she had spent the past several years rebuilding her life.
Her former stepdaughter, Alex Mikel, said she had been exchanging messages with Long just one day before the fatal crash.
Long had recently gotten a new apartment, and Mikel was planning to help her move.
“She was very caring, and very generous and giving,” Mikel told local television station FOX16. “She always helped others even when she didn’t have a lot.”
Those close to Long said the new apartment represented just how far she had come.
Her friend Kimberly Springer said Long had recently celebrated five years of sobriety after overcoming struggles involving drugs, alcohol and abusive relationships.
Springer said Long was extremely proud of the life she had managed to build.
Long had arrived in Conway with very little, according to her friend, but gradually worked toward independence and eventually secured a place of her own.
“She had made something of herself, all by herself,” Springer said.
Mikel said Long’s death has also been difficult for the younger members of the family to understand.
Her children had grown attached to Long and were left asking when they would be able to see her again.
Friends said they will remember her for the small moments as much as the larger milestones.
Springer recalled accompanying Long to lunches and doctor’s appointments and said Long loved getting her nails done and regularly sent photos afterward.
The tragedy struck just as Long appeared to be entering a hopeful new stage of her life.
“She had done so much, and was still moving forward,” Mikel said.
Court records indicate Peebles entered not-guilty pleas after her arrest. More recent local reporting says she was released on a $7,500 bond on September 28 rather than remaining continuously jailed.
Her next scheduled court appearance is November 17.
The negligent-homicide and DWI charges are accusations, and Peebles is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
For Long’s family, however, the legal process comes after a sudden loss that transformed an ordinary overnight shift into tragedy.
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