On Sunday, April 14, 2024, at approximately 2:30 p.m., the Mississippi Highway Patrol responded to a tragic two-vehicle collision on Highway 49W, according to authorities. The collision involved a 2019 Freightliner Cascadia, driven by 57-year-old L C Jones of Belzoni, Mississippi, traveling north on Highway 49W, and a 2016 Nissan Versa, driven by 57-year-old Tonya Lee of Jackson, Mississippi, also traveling north on Highway 149.
According to the initial report, the vehicles collided, resulting in severe damage. L C Jones was transported to South Sunflower Hospital in Indianola, where he received medical treatment and was subsequently released. Tonya Lee, along with passengers Alina Butler, 11, Kanijah McGee, 11, and Amelia Walker, 37, all from Jackson, Mississippi, were transported to the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) in Jackson for medical evaluation and treatment. Tragically, one of the passengers, Cornelia Lee, 35, also from Jackson, sustained fatal injuries in the crash and was pronounced dead at the scene.
