A Louisiana man and a Pike County woman along with her unborn twins died Friday, and at least seven others remain hospitalized after a single-vehicle traffic accident on Interstate 55 near Chatawa.
The wreck occurred around 12:45 p.m., drawing responses from nearly every emergency agency in the area and shutting down all southbound lanes of I-55 for more than two hours.
Tyronica J. Lewis, 18, 4151 Pumping Station Road, and her two unborn children died at Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center in McComb shortly after the accident.
Kentwood, La., resident Jenaro D. Smith, 22, 500 First St., was airlifted to University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, where he later died as a result of his injuries.
The accident involved a 2006 Mercury Mountaineer driven by 44-year-old Tracey Smith of Osyka and occupied by four other adults and five children.
According to first responders and witnesses on the scene, the SUV spun out of control after a tire blowout and flipped multiple times, ejecting nine of the occupants before coming to a stop on its passenger side in the median.
Philip Haley, 28, of Monroe, La., was travelling to New Orleans with two friends when they witnessed the accident and stopped to help.
"We were a few hundred yards behind when we saw something rolling across the lanes," Haley said. "It was a car."
Haley and his friends pulled over on the shoulder of the interstate and ran toward the vehicle, finding several bodies scattered among the wreckage.
Other motorists pulled over to offer whatever help they could. The citizens quickly discovered that the SUV had landed on top of one of the ejected passengers, Jenaro Smith. Working together, they pushed the vehicle back onto its wheels and off of Smith.
Haley said he discovered a bloodied child, later identified as 11-month-old Jasper Gatlin of Tylertown, lying on his back with vomit on his face.
"He was about to asphyxiate on the blood and the vomit," Haley said. "I had to roll him over on his side and clear his mouth to get him to start breathing again."
Dr. Kevin Richardson, an OB/GYN with Women’s Health Center in McComb, was with his family en route to the New Orleans airport and not far behind the wreck. When traffic began to slow, he heard screams and ran to the scene.
"I was just there trying to go from person to person," Richardson said. "It was one of the worst things I’ve ever seen. I happened to be there as a motorist and helped out as much as possible."
He tended to at least seven of the victims and helped send the most critically injured to hospitals first.
Magnolia Police Lt. Brent Mullins was the first official to arrive on the scene and immediately called for all the help he could get.
"I did the best I could to render first aid until other officers arrived," Mullins said. "The occupants were unresponsive. Thank God for good citizens, Dr. Richardson especially."
Volunteer firefighters from Sunny Hill, Osyka, Magnolia, Progress and Fernwood fire departments arrived to assist on the scene. Also helping were the Pike County Sheriff’s Department, the McComb Fire Department, the Magnolia Police Department, the McComb Police Department, EMT units from AAA Ambulance and the Mississippi Department of Transportation. The Mississippi Highway Patrol is leading the accident investigation.
"It’s good to see all agencies coming together as one during a time of need," Mullins said. "I was really impressed. Everybody was real professional. They did what they needed to do. The volunteer firemen are greatly appreciated."
Each of the victims was first taken to Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center. The driver, Tracey Smith, was the only occupant not thrown from the vehicle, but she suffered severe injuries and had to be transferred by ambulance from SMRMC to Jackson's UMC.
The four available ambulances in the area quickly filled up, so as a last resort, firefighters and lawmen had to transport one of the victims in the back of a police cruiser.
An AirEvac Lifeteam rescue helicopter arrived late on the scene, but because it had to fly from Natchez, no patients remained on the scene to transport.
On Saturday, MHP trooper Rusty Boyd gave updates on each of the surviving victims.
Jasper Gatlin, 11 months old, of Tylertown; Jamarion D. Smith, 4, of Kentwood; Akaja R. Smith, 10, of Osyka; and Sarah Gatlin, 2, of McComb, suffered severe injuries and were airlifted to UMC.
Jirehian L. Smith, 3, of Kentwood, suffered moderate injuries and was treated and released from SMRMC.
Jessica Smith, 19, of Osyka, suffered severe injuries and was taken to SMRMC.
Tracey Smith, 44, of Osyka, suffered severe injuries and was taken by ambulance to UMC.
Nyiesha Wilson, 22, of Kentwood, suffered severe injuries and was taken to SMRMC.
Boyd said aside from 3-year-old Jirehian Smith, all of the surviving occupants remain hospitalized.
"Most of them are still in ICU," he said. "It’s amazing that not all of them were killed."
No occupant restraint or child restraint devices were in use at the time of the wreck, according to MHP.
Boyd said because Lewis' unborn twins could not be saved, MHP declared the current death toll as four.
