On the early morning of December 6, 2024, a devastating head-on crash on Interstate 55 near Daniel Lake Boulevard, Jackson, Mississippi, resulted in six fatalities. The Jackson Police Department reported that at around 2:45 a.m., a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck moving southbound on the northbound lanes collided with a Hyundai Sonata carrying five passengers.
The deceased were identified by Hinds County Coroner Sharon Grisham-Stewart as Jose Ferragut, 23, from Scott County, who was the Chevrolet Silverado driver, and Henri Perez, 30, from Copiah County, who drove the Hyundai Sonata. The remaining victims, all from Copiah County, were Angelita Avendano, 34, Ezekiel Perez, 6, Juana Alonzo, 18, and Francisco Lopez, 18. All six victims were declared dead at the crash site.
The Jackson Police Department offered its sympathies, stating, “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the victims of this tragic event.” The investigation into the crash’s circumstances is still underway.
Darnika Mayfield, a Mississippi Highway Patrol officer, underlined the significance of obeying the state’s left-lane passing law to avoid such collisions. She noted that drivers with medical conditions or impairments could mistakenly think they are on the correct lane when they’re actually driving in the opposite lane. She highlighted the necessity for drivers to stay in the right lane unless overtaking another vehicle, emphasizing the importance of moving back to the right lane immediately after passing.
Authorities are investigating various factors such as potential driver impairment, road conditions, and vehicle performance to establish the cause of the collision. Wrong-way driving accidents, although infrequent, often lead to serious consequences due to the high speeds involved.
The National Transportation Safety Board has previously drawn attention to the risks of such collisions, stressing the need for preventive measures like enhanced signage and better road design.
Wrong-way driving accidents make up roughly 3.7% of fatal collisions on divided highways in the United States, leading to an average of 500 deaths per year from 2015 to 2018—a 34% increase from the 375 deaths annually between 2010 and 2014.
Mississippi is a particular area of concern; in 2020, the state had the highest traffic accident fatality rate per 100,000 people. Contributing factors to these high numbers include impaired and distracted driving, as well as poor road infrastructure. Most recently, on June 22, 2024, a wrong-way crash on Interstate 55 in Gluckstadt, Mississippi, resulted in one death and three injuries.
Wrong-way driving is also a major issue nationwide. In November 2024, a driver in Southlake, Texas going in the wrong direction collided with several vehicles and ended up in a shootout with the police.
These incidents underscore the pressing need for effective actions to prevent wrong-way driving and increase road safety across the country.
