Unanswered questions remain surrounding Friday’s fatal wreck

A single vehicle crash on US 61 North just South of Valley Park in Issaquena County late Friday afternoon claimed the life of 57-year-old William Kelly of Vicksburg. The driver, Joe Rushing, remains hospitalized at UMMC. A third occupant walked away virtually unscathed.

From there, the facts surrounding the accident remain under a cloud of doubt.

The Mississippi Highway Patrol press release states that Kelly died at the scene, when information gleaned from family members indicated that he was flown by Air Care from Sharkey-Issaquena Regional Medical Center to UMMC and subsequently passed away after midnight Saturday morning.

The timeline on when the first calls for assistance were made and first responders dispatched is equally as hazy. The 911 call went to the Sharkey County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Lindsey Adams said on Monday, “We dispatched the ambulance and agencies as soon as the call came in,” adding “it’s a long haul down there.” Google indicates it is a 23-mile trip from Rolling Fork to the crash scene.

Fire Coordinator Briggs received word of the crash at around 5:45 p.m. Issaquena firefighters were notified even later.

Information has been obtained that indicates that calls were made at least as early as 5:20 p.m.

A person who lives in the area and does not wish to be identified witnessed the crash and called 911. He stated that he believed that the occupants were dead. He said Kelly was ejected as the vehicle tumbled from the roadway. Kelly was located laying on the pavement at the entrance to the grain elevator.

Witness statements indicate there was an extended period of time between the initial call and the arrival of the ambulance from Sharkey-Issaquena. They took Kelly and returned to the hospital, leaving Rushing, who was still trapped in the vehicle, behind. According to witnesses, no law enforcement or first responders were on the scene when they departed.

Rushing was subsequently extricated by Vicksburg and Warren County Firefighters from the wreckage of the 2005 Dodge Caravan. He was transported to Merit Health River Region and later UMMC. Vicksburg Fire Rescue, Fire Medic 30, Culkin Engine 205, along with Fire Coordinator Jerry Briggs responded as did an Engine from Sharkey County. Numerous firefighters from Issaquena and Sharkey counties were also on scene.

Vicksburg resident Vickie Williams was traveling the highway a short time after the accident and stopped to help.  She gave Vicksburg Daily News an interview on Sunday, which called into question the response by the Sharkey Sheriff’s Office as far as dispatch, as well as how the incident was handled by the Sharkey-Issaquena Hospital’s ambulance.

Several attempts were made on Monday to contact Hospital Administrator Jerry Keever to request additional information. The hospital is funded by the counties; Issaquena pays 1/3 while Sharkey pays 2/3 of the operating costs, which includes providing ambulance services.

The information in this article is informed in large part by eye-witness testimony that we believe to be credible. The accident is still under investigation and review, and therefore statements from official sources have been scarce.  The Vicksburg Daily News will continue to provide updates if more information becomes available.

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