Pafford EMS ambulance crashed into on I-55, two crew members hospitalized

WESSON, Miss. (WLBT) - One person is dead after a vehicle collided with an ambulance on Interstate 55 Friday night.

At approximately 11:18 p.m., the Mississippi Highway Patrol responded to a report of a two-vehicle crash near the Wesson exit in Copiah County.

Terencio Powell, 38, of Terry, Mississippi, was driving south in the northbound lane of I-55 in a 2013 Ford F-150 when the vehicle collided head-on with a Pafford EMS Ambulance.

The ambulance was driven by EMT Joe Case, 48, of Brookhaven, Mississippi, and EMT Jonathan Harveston, 23, of Vidalia, Louisiana.

Michael Hawkins, 65, of Natchez, Mississippi, was being transported in the ambulance.

According to MHP officials, Powell and Case were both airlifted to the University of Mississippi Medical Center while Harveston was transported by ambulance to UMMC.

The injuries and current conditions of all three subjects are currently unknown.

Hawkins suffered fatal injuries in the wreck and was pronounced deceased at the scene.

MHP is the lead investigative agency into this tragic crash.

Charges against Powell are pending, MHP officials added.

Stephen Sutton, Pafford EMS Public Information Officer, stated, “As we navigate through this difficult time, we ask for your compassion and to join us in praying for everyone affected. Our top priority remains the safety and full recovery of our crew members, and we are committed to supporting them in every way possible during their recovery journey.”

Sutton also thanked the responding agencies, saying, “Their support was invaluable in managing the situation.”

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