Panola County Accident Leaves One OHS Student Dead

Mississippi Highway Patrol is still investigating the accident.

Saturday night in Panola County around 11:30 p.m. at the intersection of Hunters Chapel and Highway 310 there was an accident involving one vehicle with five occupants. The accident resulted in four occupants being injured and one fatality.

The one fatality was identified as 17 year old Sarah Bial, an Oxford High School student. All five of the occupants were 17 years old, four were Oxford High School students and one was a student at Magnolia Heights. Oxford High School seniors Sophie Semmes, Aslan Williams,and Ellie Devoe were passengers and Elaine Westfaul, a student at Magnolia Heights, was the driver.

According to reports the vehicle involved in the accident was a 2004 Toyota SUV. The vehicle was traveling south on Hunters Chapel, went through a stop sign and collided with an embankment on the south side of Highway 310. Mississippi Highway Patrol is continuing their investigation and charges may be filed after the investigation is complete.

Two of the occupants were transported to Tri-Lakes Medical Center in Batesville, one by helicopter to The MED (Regional Medical Center at Memphis), and one was transported by ambulance to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis.

Sunday evening outside of Oxford High School students held a vigil for their classmate Sarah Bial.
As of 4:45 p.m. on Monday evening the two students that were transported to Tri Lakes Medical Center in Batesville have been released, one student at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis was reported to be in stable condition and the one student at The MED in Memphis was listed as in serious condition but not life threatening.

More updates will come as information becomes available — Justin Taylor, senior journalism major, Meek School of Journalism and New Media

Email Justin Taylor at jdtaylo2@go.olemiss.edu