Authorities say the search for missing 22-year-old Nicholas Collins has entered a critical phase after his vehicle was located in northern Arkansas. The Tama County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the discovery Friday morning, January 2, 2026, prompting an expanded multi-county search effort.
According to the Tama County Sheriff’s Office, Nicholas Collins’ white Mini Cooper was found abandoned along a trailhead in the Ozark National Forest in Johnson County, Arkansas. Collins was not inside the vehicle at the time it was located.
Johnson County Dispatch received a call at approximately 8:41 a.m. on January 1 regarding the abandoned vehicle, which was found without license plates. After receiving the report, authorities confirmed the Mini Cooper was linked to Collins…