Wreck near bridge shuts down I-20

Published 12:00 am Sunday, April 5, 2009

A chain-reaction wreck on I-20 involving a motorcycle and two pickups sent a Vicksburg woman to the hospital and stalled westbound traffic at the entrance to the Mississippi River Bridge for about an hour late Saturday morning.

Wendie Dunbar, 52, 3956 Mount Alban Road, driving a motorcycle of unknown make, was merging onto I-20 from the Washington Street on-ramp when she swerved to miss a vehicle already on the highway and crashed, said police Lt. Frank Phelps.

Daniel Mercado, 28, 6319 Rockford Road, Apt. 59, Fayetteville, N.C., driving a 1999 Dodge Dakota, passed Dunbar, but braked suddenly to stop and help her.

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His pickup was then hit by a 1992 Chevrolet pickup driven by Rufus McClodden, 56, 201 Harlem St., Tallulah, Phelps said.

The wreck occurred about 10:45 a.m., and the bridge was closed to westbound traffic while rescue workers cleared the vehicles.

Dunbar was taken to River Region Medical Center, where she was treated and released, hospital spokesman Diane Gawronski said.

Liquor store clerk robbed at gunpoint

A liquor store clerk was the victim of an armed robbery Friday night.

As the clerk was closing Occasions Wine and Spirits, 989B U.S. 61 North, two men drove up to the store, threatened the clerk with what appeared to be a shotgun and demanded the store’s money, police Lt. Frank Phelps said.

When the men learned that it was locked in the safe, they instead took the victim’s wallet holding an undisclosed amount of money.

One shot was fired into the victim’s vehicle but she was not hurt, Phelps said. No customers or witnesses were present.