A crash on U.S. Highway 61 in Walls, Mississippi left three people dead and a DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office Juvenile Detention Center officer seriously injured last Wednesday night, after a Walls police vehicle collided with a civilian car just after 8 p.m. The Walls Police Department confirmed one of its patrol officers was involved, and officials say the other vehicle was a Honda Accord in which three people died and another passenger was injured.
According to Action News 5, a DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office Juvenile Detention Center officer died in the crash and another Juvenile Detention Center officer was seriously wounded. The station reported that the Walls Police Department acknowledged one of its patrol officers was also involved and that the crash reportedly involved a civilian vehicle. At the time of that report, authorities had not identified either victim.
Separately, the Walls Police Department vehicle crash was reported by DeSoto County News as having occurred on Highway 61 south of Goodman Road in Walls on the night of November 4, prompting a large emergency and police response. The DeSoto County Sheriff’s Department reported that all lanes of travel in the area of Goodman Road and Poplar Corner in Walls were closed because of the crash.
Mayor Urges Patience as Investigation Continues
Walls Mayor Keidron N. Henderson addressed the crash, saying the cause remained under investigation and asking residents not to speculate while that work continued. “The cause of the crash is currently under investigation. We will respect that process and avoid speculation while investigators work to determine what occurred,” Henderson said, per the same DeSoto County News report.
The Mississippi Highway Patrol is leading the investigation into the crash, according to Action News 5’s reporting. No further details about the cause had been released as of the available reporting, and both outlets’ accounts emphasize that the circumstances remain under review by investigators.
Victims Identified by State Officials
According to WREG.com, state officials later identified three victims of the fatal crash: Latasha N. Dodson, 37, of Horn Lake, who was driving the Honda; Eddie L. Dodson Jr., 41, of Byhalia; and Tamenshia R. Ford, 32, of Horn Lake. Per that report, the Dodge Durango involved was confirmed by state officials to be a Walls police vehicle, driven by 27-year-old Da’Quarius M. Burton of Memphis, who was injured in the crash along with a passenger in the Honda. Both were transported to a local hospital, WREG’s reporting states.
WREG also reported that the Mississippi Highway Patrol said the Dodge Durango driven by Burton was traveling north on Highway 61 and collided with a westbound Honda Accord at Church Road. The DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office said two people involved in the wreck were members of the county juvenile detention center staff, identifying Tamenshia R. Ford as the staff member who was killed and noting that another juvenile detention center staff member was seriously injured in the wreck, per WREG’s account.
Sheriff Remembers Fallen Officer
DeSoto County Sheriff Thomas E. Tuggle II said the fallen officer was respected and beloved by the team, according to WREG’s reporting. The Walls mayor and police chief confirmed that the crash involved a Walls police officer but had not named that officer as of the available reporting. WREG indicated the story would continue to be updated as more information becomes available.
