Car crashes claim multiple lives

By By Steve Gillespie / staff writer
March 14, 2003
The Mississippi Highway Patrol is investigating two one-vehicle crashes that resulted in deaths on Thursday.
A one-vehicle crash on Highway 489 between Conehatta and Union claimed the life of a pregnant Conehatta woman and her unborn child.
Cyntina Bell, 18, of Conehatta, died at 5:24 p.m. at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center, according to Dale Stampley, Newton County Coroner.
Stampley said Bell's pregnancy was full term. Attempts to save the baby were unsuccessful. Both bodies were sent to Jackson Thursday night for autopsy, Stampley said.
Bell was a passenger in a 1994 Mitsubishi driven by Shane Thomas of Conehatta, according to Staff Sgt. Michael Cain, accident reconstructionist with the Mississippi Highway Patrol.
Cain said the vehicle left the road about four miles north of Decatur-Conehatta Road and hit a tree. He said the crash happened about 3:30 p.m. Although it had been raining heavily earlier that afternoon, Cain said he does not believe the weather was a contributing factor in the crash.
About 30 minutes before the wreck involving Bell, another one-vehicle crash off of Interstate 59 in Jasper County claimed the life of Anne Wilford, 42, of Sugar Land, Texas. She was a passenger in a 2001 Chevrolet that was driven by her husband, Dan Wilford, who was injured in the crash.
Cain said Wilford was transported to South Central Regional Medical Center in Laurel and then transported to Forest General Hospital in Hattiesburg. His condition was unavailable from the hospital's nursing staff at press time.
Cain said the vehicle left the interstate near the 110 mile marker at about 2:56 p.m.