Woman dies after wreck that also killed daughter

Published 12:00 am Monday, November 17, 2008

An Louisiana woman who had been in critical condition since early Friday morning following a head-on collision — in which she was a passenger with her daughter, who was killed — died this morning, said Warren County Coroner Doug Huskey.

Adele Howser, 87, 1509 St. Patrick St., Donaldsonville, was pronounced dead by doctors at University Medical Center in Jackson around 12:30 a.m., said Huskey, the cause of death being a brain stem injury due to head trauma.

Howser’s daughter, Karen Ann Morehead, 53, of the same address, was pronounced dead at the wreck, which occurred just east of the Wisconsin Avenue overpass on Interstate 20 about 12:30 a.m. Friday. Police said Morehead was driving east in the westbound lanes when her 1995 Eagle Vision collided with a 1995 Oldsmobile Delta 88 driven by Kevin McGrew of Vicksburg. McGrew was in fair condition this morning at UMC, said a hospital spokesman, downgraded from good condition Friday.

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An autopsy performed on Morehead showed she died of multiple blunt force injuries to the head and chest, said Huskey. Toxicology results will not be available for about a week.

No autopsy was planned for Howser, Huskey said, and both bodies will be transferred to Donaldsonville for funeral services.

At the time of the wreck, the mother and daughter had been in Vicksburg for about two weeks, visiting Morehead’s daughter, relatives have said. Police said the two had left the Wal-Mart SuperCenter on U.S. 61 South about 20 minutes prior to the wreck, but do not know when or how Morehead ended up going the wrong way on the interstate.

Three passengers in McGrew’s vehicle — Mario Brown, 27, 410 Pleasant Valley Drive, and brothers Eric Turner, 27, and Derrick Turner, 24, both of 401 Pleasant Valley Drive — were treated and released from River Region Medical Center following the wreck.

Howser’s death brings the number of fatalities on Warren County roadways this year to nine, and within Vicksburg city limits to three.

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Contact Steve Sanoski at ssanoski@vicksburgpost.com.