Ronnie Percy HolmesRANKIN COUNTY — Quick action by Rankin County 911 dispatchers helped prevent a potentially catastrophic collision Saturday after a man drove an SUV onto railroad tracks in the Star community, according to the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office began receiving 911 calls about 9:30 a.m. reporting a red Chevrolet SUV with a Florida license plate traveling southbound in the northbound lanes of U.S. Highway 49.
Deputies responded to the area as additional callers reported the SUV had turned onto Dixie Road. Witnesses then reported the driver had driven onto railroad tracks near the Airgas facility, where the vehicle stopped and blocked the tracks.
Dispatchers immediately contacted the railroad and were told a freight train was already approaching the location.
The train stopped approximately 200 yards from the SUV, preventing a collision, according to the sheriff’s office.
After leaving the SUV on the tracks, the suspect walked to Dixie Road and allegedly attempted to enter a passing vehicle and take it from the driver.
The motorist, a Rankin County resident who owns and operates a firearms store and firearms training facility in Flowood, feared for his safety and displayed a firearm. The citizen held the suspect at gunpoint until deputies arrived and took him into custody without further incident.
The suspect was identified as Ronnie Percy Holmes, 22, of Florida.
Holmes was taken to the University of Mississippi Medical Center for evaluation before being booked into the Rankin County Jail.
Holmes is expected to appear before Rankin County Court Judge David Morrow on charges of attempted carjacking and obstructing a railway.
The Mississippi Office of Homeland Security and the Jackson office of the FBI were notified because of the circumstances surrounding the alleged intentional obstruction of the railway.
Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey praised the dispatchers, deputies and citizen involved, saying their actions helped prevent what could have been a deadly incident.
