Tragic accident claims one, injures others

Published 11:35 am Saturday, April 30, 2016

A Belzoni woman was killed early Saturday morning near Flowers while sitting on the shoulder of the eastbound lanes of Interstate 20 while waiting for a tire to be changed on the SUV in which she was a passenger, Mississippi Highway Patrol spokesman Trooper Eric Henry said.

He said Ashley Dancer, 26, was killed when an eastbound 18-wheeler struck the rear of a Ford Explorer that had pulled over to help the GMC Yukon in which Dancer was a passenger. The impact from the semi hitting the Explorer knocked the SUV into Dancer, killing her.

Warren County Coroner Doug Huskey said she was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy was ordered.

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Another person, Jamia Ransome, 27, of Greenville, who Henry said was sitting on the tailgate of the Yukon, was injured and taken to University of Mississippi Medical Center.

The other occupants the Yukon who were standing outside the SUV and the driver of the Explorer, who was sitting in the SUV when it was hit, were not injured. They were not identified. The driver of the truck owned by Haul America Trucking LLC out of Conyers, Ga., was also injured and taken to UMMC. He was not identified.

The accident occurred about 2 a.m. According to MHP reports, the Yukon had pulled off on the shoulder of the highway with a flat tire, and the driver of the Explorer pulled over to help.

While the tire was being changed, the 18-wheeler veered off the roadway and struck the Explorer, knocking it into the Yukon. Dancer was sitting between the Yukon and the explorer.

The driver of the 18-wheeler told troopers another 18-wheeler passing him forced his tractor trailer off the roadway, causing it to hit the rear of the Explorer.

The accident is under investigation by MHP Crash Team.

About John Surratt

John Surratt is a graduate of Louisiana State University with a degree in general studies. He has worked as an editor, reporter and photographer for newspapers in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post staff since 2011 and covers city government. He and his wife attend St. Paul Catholic Church and he is a member of the Port City Kiwanis Club.

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