Teen killed in wreck on county road5 people injured, horse dies in series of wrecks
Published 11:45 pm Saturday, December 1, 2012
A Warren County teenager described as “inspirational” was killed in one of four wrecks late Friday through late Saturday that also sent five people to hospitals and forced officials to euthanize a horse.
Cannon Thomas Lampkin, 16, 5055 Bovina Cut-off Road, was killed in a one-vehicle crash on gravel Duncan Road, about a half-mile from Bovina Cut-off, at about 10:30 Friday night, Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace said.
A midmorning Saturday wreck on U.S. 61 North at Oak Ridge Road sent one man, Ronnie H. Brown, 45, 10085 Oak Ridge Road, to River Region Medical Center, and from there he was flown by helicopter to University Medical Center in Jackson. He was in stable condition Saturday night, a UMC spokesman said.
The wreck occurred, said Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol Sgt. John Minor, in the southbound lanes of U.S. 61 North after the load on a log truck, being driven by Nathaniel Tyler Jr., 35, 402 Locust St., shifted and spilled logs into a Chevrolet Astro driven by Brown. Both vehicles had just turned onto the highway from Oak Ridge Road when the wreck occurred, Minor said.
The third wreck, on U.S. 61 South just north of the Big Black River at about 3 p.m, involved a car and a horse-drawn covered wagon on a seven-state ride to raise money and awareness for breast cancer research.
In that wreck, Minor said, Andrew Neal, 43, 47 Warriors Lane, was southbound on the four-lane highway when his Mercury Tracer ran into the back of the covered wagon being pulled by two horses and carrying two men.
One of the horses was euthanized on the scene while the other was taken to a nearby farm to be treated.
Neal and Eugene Smith, 52, of Miami, Okla., were flown by helicopter to UMC. The second man in the wagon, Charles France Jr., 56, also of Miami, was taken by ambulance to River Region.
Both Neal and Smith were in good condition Saturday night, UMC spokeswoman Amanda Allitson said. France was still being treated in the emergency room Saturday night, a River Region spokesman said.
In the fatal wreck, six people were in the Chevrolet Tahoe with Cannon when the vehicle flipped, Pace said, but none of them was injured.
“One of the passengers told officers they had seen deer crossing the road,” Pace said. “Whether or not that played a role in the wreck, I don’t know.”
Cannon, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected from the SUV before it landed on him, Pace said.
Warren County Coroner Doug Huskey said Cannon died of head and chest injuries.
His funeral was set for Monday at Glenwood Funeral Home.
The six passengers were identified as Shane Bailey, 15, 6610 Oak Ridge Road; Austin Daffron, 17, 100 Rodenbaugh Drive; Dylan Johnson, 16, 117 Johnny St., Tallulah; Brandon Palmer, 14, 7470 Warriors Trail; Steven Prewitt, 18, 2501 Culkin Road, Apartment F-5; and Duster Sanders, 17, 675 Stenson Road, Lot 4.
Whether they were wearing seatbelts, Pace said, was still under investigation Saturday night.
The fourth incident occurred at about 7 Saturday night when a southbound car on Halls Ferry Road hit a pedestrian as he stepped into the narrow two-lane street near Division Street.
Anthony Brown, 44, had just stepped off the steep hill at his home at 2725 Halls Ferry Road when he was hit by a car that did not stop, said Vicksburg police Patrolman Leonce Young.
Brown also was flown by helicopter to UMC, where he was in good condition Saturday night, a spokesman said.
Meanwhile, two people injured in a wreck at Dana Road and U.S. 61 South at about 7 p.m. Friday were believed to be out of the hospital Saturday night. Spencer Carney, 24, 540 Old Cain Ridge Road, was not listed as a patient at UMC, Allitson said. Jessica Massey, 26, 175 Hackberry Drive, was treated and released from River Region, hospital spokesman Heather Butler said.
As they dealt with their grief Saturday, Cannon’s parents and the coach of the Warren Central High School baseball team, where Cannon was a manger, said his attitude and smile were infectious.
“He just had a big old heart,” said his mother, Lori Lampkin. “He never met a stranger.”
“He was always smiling,” said his father, TimmyLampkin. “He enjoyed people. I’ve had so many people come up and tell me they never met a person that was so loving. He always had a smile on his face.”
Warren Central baseball coach Conner Douglas said Cannon would be missed.
“He’s the kind of kid you want to surround yourself every day with,” Douglas said. “He inspires people to be the best they can in everything we do. He loved Warren Central more than anyone I’ve ever been around.”
“It’s going to take some time,” Douglas added.