MHP Responds to Three Fatal Wrecks Over New Year’s Weekend

Three Mississippians, including two teens, died on state highways over the New Year’s holiday weekend, according to the Mississippi Highway Patrol.

No fatal wrecks were reported in Lafayette County.

MHP concluded its New Year’s holiday enforcement period which began at 12:01 a.m. New Year’s Eve and ended at midnight on Sunday.

MHP issued 6,306 citations with 184 DUI arrests. They investigated 158 vehicle crashes that included 27 injuries and three fatalities on state/federal highways and interstate systems.

Of the three people who were killed, only one was wearing a seat belt. Alcohol was not considered a factor in any of the three wrecks that resulted in a fatality.

In Troop E, which includes Lafayette County, troopers issued 509 citations and made 29 arrests for DUI. They investigated 17 wrecks that resulted in four injuries.

In Oxford, police officers made 11 arrests for DUI and responded to 15 wrecks during the same time period. The Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department arrested two people for DUI and investigated one wreck.

Details on the three fatal wrecks investigated by the MHP:

• At 8:32 a.m. on Dec. 31, troopers responded to a fatal traffic crash on MS613 in Jackson County. A 2004 Toyota pickup driven by Collin J. Stockman, 17, of Moss Point was traveling northbound on MS613. A 2020 Chevrolet pickup driven by Charles R. Carter, 60, of Lucedale was traveling southbound on MS613. Both vehicles were involved in a head-on collision. Stockman was pronounced dead on the scene. Carter was transported to a local hospital with moderate injuries.
• At 1:09 p.m. on Dec. 31, troopers responded to a fatal traffic crash on MS29 in Perry County. A 2007 Ford Ranger driven by Tristan L. Woodson, 18, of Waynesboro was traveling northbound on MS29. The vehicle left the roadway and collided with a tree ejecting the driver. Woodson was pronounced dead on the scene.
• At 3:04 p.m. on Dec. 31, troopers responded to a fatal traffic crash on MS28 in Jefferson County. A 1994 GMC Yukon driven by Christopher W. Dryden, 58, of Satellite Beach, Florida was traveling eastbound on MS28. The vehicle left the roadway and overturned. Dryden was pronounced dead on the scene.