Police in Rankin County, Mississippi say that the driver who is believed to be responsible for a serious collision that left five children injured was not only impaired at the time of the accident, but is also a convicted sex offender who was recently released from jail.
Authorities say that several of the injured children and one adult remain in area hospitals recovering from the serious collision that took place at around 6:30 p.m. earlier this week. The Mississippi Highway Patrol has said that Edward Allen Sullivan was behind the wheel of a maroon Lincoln pick-up truck and had five children and one other adult inside the truck with him.
The accident occurred when Sullivan tried to cross the southbound lane of Highway 49 near Muse Road. As the truck crossed into the lane it was hit on the passenger side by an oncoming 18-wheeler. Emergency responders say the force of the accident was great given the speed that both vehicles were traveling at the time. In fact, police had to use the Jaws of Life to extract the children who were trapped inside of the truck.
Highway Patrol officials say that a 12-year-old boy remains in critical condition in a local hospital while several girls, aged 5, 7, 10, and 11, are also in the hospital recovering from injuries. A man and a woman were inside the tractor-trailer at the time of the crash and both were injured as well, though they have since been released from the hospital. Authorities say early reports indicate Sullivan was drunk at the time of the crash and that, as a result, criminal charges will likely be forthcoming.
Police say that Sullivan, is also a sex offender who was only recently released on charges of touching a child for lustful purposes. The man is currently serving a five-year probation sentence and it remains to be seen whether he will face additional charges given the presence of so many young children in his vehicle. Police say none of the kids were his, but instead they were the children of a female acquaintance.
If you have been injured in a Mississippi car, motorcycle or tractor-trailer accident and think you may have a personal injury claim, please contact the Mississippi personal injury attorneys at Kilpatrick & Philley at 601-707-4669.
Source: “Driver in crash that injured 5 children is sex offender,” by Joe Barnes, published at WLOX.com.
See Our Related Blog Posts:
Drunk Driver In Jackson Kills Pedestrian And Seriously Injures EMT
Study Finds Texting Leading Cause Of Death Among Teen Drivers