According to the Mississippi Highway Patrol, the accident happened when a 2008 Ford truck collided with a 2000 Chevrolet pick-up. The Chevy was being driven by Walter Havard, 44, while the Ford was being driven by John White, 25. Police say the fatal accident left Havard and another passenger, 38-year-old Timothy Collier, dead.
The accident took place in the middle of the day, just after three in the afternoon, when Havard was heading south down U.S. 61. Witnesses say that Havard may have failed to yield as he turned into the median crossover and tried to turn onto Douglas Road. The Chevy then crashed into the oncoming Ford, which hit the Chevy on the passenger side, causing it to flip over and off the side of the road.
Tragically, the passenger in the Chevy, Collier, was pronounced dead at the scene. Havard, who was wearing his seatbelt at the time of the accident, was taken by ambulance to Natchez Regional Medical Center and died along the way. There were two other passengers in the Ford at the time of the accident and each one sustained injuries, though thankfully relatively minor ones. Police say the accident remains under investigation.
In Mississippi, if a family member dies because of the negligence of another party, that person’s loved ones are allowed to bring a civil claim to recover damages for their loved one’s wrongful death. Mississippi Code Annotated Section 11-7-13 deals with wrongful death claims and explains that family members are able to file suit for financial compensation against responsible parties, whether it’s an individual or a company. Mississippi law is clear that such suits permit family members to recover damages that “the jury may determine to be just.” This includes a wide array of things such as medical expenses, hospital bills, pain and suffering, funeral expenses, lost earnings, lost future earnings, loss of companionship and even punitive damages can be collected from the responsible party.
The wrongful death attorneys at The Stroud Law Firm understand how such a sudden death could cause serious financial trouble and would be happy to discuss your case and present you with possible options for receiving compensation.
Source: “Two killed in two-vehicle accident south of Natchez,” by Lindsey Shelton, published at NatchezDemocrat.
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