Two adults and one child were killed in a pair of fatal accidents approximately an hour and a half apart on Saturday afternoon.
At approximately 12:32 p.m. on Saturday a motor vehicle accident was reported near mile marker 152 on the Natchez Trace Parkway, south of Kosciusko.
The vehicle, a 2010 Ford F150, was operated by Johnie P. Nichols, age 73, of Booneville, according to a release from the Natchez Trace Parkway superintendent. Preliminary information indicates that Nichols, along with his son Allen Nichols, daughter-in-law Kayla Nichols, and their 3 ½ year-old daughter were traveling southbound on the Parkway when the vehicle crossed the center line and struck a bridge abutment. The vehicle then went down the embankment and landed upside down in a creek. The creek was full due to the recent rainstorms and the vehicle was almost completely submerged.
J. Nichols and the 3 ½ year-old were pronounced dead around 2 p.m. with the cause of death appearing to be drowning, according to Attala County coroner Sam Bell.
The other passengers in the vehicle were injured and transported to a local care facility.
U.S. Park Rangers, Attala and Leake County Sheriff’s Deputies, Thomas Town Volunteer Fire Department and the Attala County Medical Examiner responded to the scene.
Just a short time after at approximately 2 p.m., a one-vehicle rollover was reported on Attala Road 4167 in McAdams.
Charles Wilder, 61, of Sallis was pronounced dead at the scene. However, the cause of the death is pending results of an autopsy, according to Bell.
The Attala County Sheriff’s Office, Attala County Fire, MedStat EMS and the Sallis Volunteer Fire Department all responded.
