The Mississippi Highway Patrol (MHP) concluded the 2024 Independence Day Holiday Travel Period on Sunday, July 7, at midnight. The enforcement period, which began on Thursday, July 4, saw MHP issuing 6,474 citations, making 149 DUI arrests, and citing 876 motorists for seatbelt violations.
During this period, MHP investigated 141 crashes, resulting in 45 injuries and four fatalities. The fatal crashes occurred in Pearl River, Scott, Sunflower, and Pike Counties.
Detailed Fatal Crash Reports:
- Pearl River County (July 4):
- A 1994 Jeep Wrangler driven by 19-year-old Troy Hughes collided with a 2023 Toyota Camry driven by 23-year-old Jocelin Sanchez, who died at the scene.
- Scott County (July 5):
- A 2002 Dodge Ram driven by 51-year-old Steve Epps ran off Interstate 20 and hit a tree. Epps was pronounced dead at the scene.
- Sunflower County (July 5):
- A 2002 Ford CVR driven by 40-year-old Kenneth Willies overturned after hitting a ditch. Willies was pronounced dead at the scene.
- Pike County (July 6):
- A 2018 Jeep Wrangler driven by 40-year-old Dustin Denton left the roadway, collided with a tree, and overturned. Denton was pronounced dead at the scene.
MHP provided a comparative overview showing an increase in citations and DUI arrests compared to the 2023 Independence Day period.
