8 Killed In Kemper County Crash

KEMPER COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – An early morning crash in Kemper County kills eight people.

The accident happened on Highway 16, east of Scooba, near the state line.

Kemper County Sheriff James Moore said a passenger van and a delivery truck hit head-on, then both vehicles hit the guard rail.

All eight of the people who were killed were passengers in the van.

Both drivers survived.

Sheriff Moore said the crash was so extreme that it’s amazing anyone made it out alive.

“At this wreck, if you did everything right, somebody did something wrong,” the sheriff said. “We know that. The accident is under investigation right now by the Mississippi Highway Patrol, but the people in the van just didn’t have a chance. It would have been hard to survive an accident like that.”

Sheriff Moore said this is the highest number of fatalities he’s ever seen in a wreck.

The eight victims of that crash all lived in Macon.

In an interview the Associated Press, the driver of the van told reporters he was in his lane and tried to avoid the truck.

The group of workers were on the way to Monroeville, Alabama, to cut trees.

Those who knew the victims said they were known in their community.

Now, many in the area are having a hard time coming to grips with such a horrible tragedy.

“Right now, this community right here is stunned,” said R.L. Calhoun, Noxubee County Coroner. “They were kind of to themselves. They are not bad people. They’re here to work and make a new life and living for themselves. We just hate it happened. My condolences to the family and we’re here for the support.”

The crash is now being investigated by the Mississippi Highway Patrol.