Truck driver arrested for murder of fellow driver fatally struck by big rig at Arkansas rest area

A truck driver was arrested by U.S. Marshals in connection with the January 2025 death of another truck driver at a rest area in Arkansas.

On January 31, 2025, Georgia resident Darius Simmons, 30, was arrested by U.S. Marshals in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on charges of First-Degree Murder, Aggravated Robbery, Theft of Property, and Failure to Provide Information of an Accident, according to a release from Arkansas State Police.

Simmons was arrested in connection to the death of Texas resident German Portillo-Batres, 59, who was found deceased at the I-40 rest area near Ozark, Arkansas, on January 4, 2025.

According to charging documents obtained by the River Valley Democrat-Gazette, a conflict began at the rest area when Simmons sideswiped a parked semi truck driven by Portillo-Baters.

Following the crash, Portillo-Baters exited and attempted to take photos of Simmons’ truck to report the accident.

The report states that Simmons took Portillo-Baters’ phone and tried to flee the rest stop, but in the process, he struck Portillo-Baters with his tractor trailer, resulting in his death.

The body of Portillo-Baters was discovered on the shoulder of the rest stop access road by a motorist.

Simmons also discarded Portillo-Baters’ phone on I-40 after deleting the photos, the report asserts.