One Killed, One Injured in Fatal Wrong-way Collision

According to WJTV, a 40-year-old man is dead after his vehicle was hit by another car traveling the wrong direction in Madison, Mississippi, on Wednesday night.

Details of Fatal Crash

The head-on crash occurred in the northbound lanes of Interstate 55 near miler marker 107 at around 10:17 p.m. local time. Officials received word of a wrong-way driver that was heading southbound in the northbound lanes. Shortly after, police were notified of a four-car crash.

Witnesses said the wrong-way traveling Volkswagen car nearly struck several vehicles before colliding with a Nissan, reports WJTV. Two other vehicles were struck in the collision, but the occupants of those two vehicles did not sustain any injuries. The driver of the northbound Nissan was fatally injured in the crash. Jason Bradley Busby, 40, succumbed to his injuries after being airlifted to University of Mississippi Medical Center.

The wrong-way driver, 32-year-old Leronnie Joseph Michael, sustained critical injuries and was also airlifted to UMMC, reports WJTV. Officials say alcohol and drug testing results for both drivers are pending and that the fatal accident remains under investigation.

Motor Vehicle Traffic Crash Statistics

The following information is provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA):

• 35,092 people died in motor vehicle wrecks on U.S. roadways in 2015, an increase of 7.2 percent from 2014.
• An estimated 2.44 million people suffered injuries in motor vehicle accidents in 2015.
  • 105,000 more people sustained injuries in crashes in 2015 compared to 2014.
• Fatal multiple-vehicle crashes increased by 11.2 percent from 2014.