The Mississippi Highway Patrol (MHP) Tuesday morning released its statistical information on calls and accident investigations over the Memorial Day weekend. Three people died on Mississippi highways during the weekend, including a Trooper who died when struck by an 18-wheeler in Madison County.
Trooper John Harris was struck and killed Friday afternoon, about 3:30 p.m., on state Highway 16. Harris was fatally injured while conducting a traffic stop, according to MHP.
Later on Friday, about 6:15 p.m., a fatal crash occurred on state Highway 503 in Newton County. A car driven by Shannon M. Davis, age 32 of Hattiesburg, was heading northbound but left the roadway and hit a tree, ejecting him from the car. Davis was dead at the scene, the Patrol said.
The third fatality occurred Friday night shortly before midnight in Leake County when a pickup truck driven by Rogelio Garza, age 38 of Falcon Heights, Texas, was driving northbound and left state Highway 429 and overturned. Garza was ejected from the truck and received fatal injuries from the crash. The Patrol said Garza was pronounced dead at the scene.
For the holiday period between 12:01 a.m. Friday morning and Monday night at 12 midnight, the Highway Patrol issued 5,734 citations with 160 DUI arrests. A total of 104 crashes were investigated including the three fatalities and 40 injuries on state, federal highways, and interstate systems. State Troopers conducted saturation patrols and safety checkpoints throughout the enforcement period.
In Troop E, which is the Batesville troop that includes DeSoto County, there was just one injury accident reported. There were two DUI arrests and one drug arrest. There were also six stops for seat belt violations in the Batesville-northwest Mississippi area, three stops for child restraints, and one motorist assist stop over the entire weekend.
