Officials: 8 Killed in Head-On Crash on Mississippi Highway

SCOOBA, Miss.—A Mississippi Highway Patrol spokesman says a wreck on a rural highway has killed eight people.

Published: 6/3/2019, 11:54:45 AM EDT

Officials: 8 Killed in Head-On Crash on Mississippi Highway — Police tape in a file photo. (Benjamin Chasteen/The Epoch Times)

SCOOBA, Miss.—A Mississippi Highway Patrol spokesman says a wreck on a rural highway has killed eight people.

Sgt. Andy West said the patrol received a call just before 3:30 a.m. Monday about the two-vehicle wreck on Mississippi Highway 16 east of Scooba, near the Alabama state line.

WTOK reported that Kemper County Sheriff James Moore said a box truck and a passenger van collided head-on.

"The driver of the van was transported to Jeff Anderson Hospital in Meridian and his condition is unknown," West said, according to the Clarion Ledger.

"We're still trying to gather information and all the names," West told the Clarion Ledger Monday morning.

Police are currently investigating the accident.

Fatal Car Crash Accidents in Mississippi

The highest deaths in fatal car crash accidents on a 100,000 population are in Mississippi, which saw 23.1 such deaths, and the most deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled were in South Carolina, which saw 1.80 such deaths.

The majority of fatal accidents are single-vehicle crashes, the institute noted.

“Dangerous actions such as speeding, distracted driving, and driving under the influence are still putting many Americans, their families and those they share the road with at risk,” said National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Deputy Administrator Heidi King in a statement.

Trevino wrecked four cars on the freeway before the ambulance could no longer be driven. (Fox screenshot) — Trevino wrecked four cars on the freeway before the ambulance could no longer be driven. Fox screenshot

“Additionally, we must address the emerging trend of drug-impaired driving to ensure we are reducing traffic fatalities and keeping our roadways safe for the traveling public.”

A preliminary estimate of the first half of 2018 (pdf) showed that an estimated 17,120 people died in car crashes from January through June, which would be a decrease of about 3 percent from the previous year. The statistics indicate the fifth consecutive quarter in which traffic fatalities declined.

NTD News staff contributed to this article.