An Alabama man died in Jackson overnight from injuries sustained in a serious wreck in Columbus.
City Public Information Officer Joe Dillon said the victim, 77-year-old Roland Wayne Brewer Sr. of Millport, died Monday evening. Brewer was hospitalized after his van collided head-on with a tractor-trailer on Highway 82.
The accident happened at about 11 a.m. Monday near Highway 82’s bypass over 18th Avenue North. According to updates Columbus Police Department posted to its Twitter page, Brewer was driving a white van in the wrong lane when it hit the truck.
During the collision, the van went under the 18-wheeler and tore off two of the truck’s axles.
Dillon said Columbus Fire and Rescue personnel worked for 45 minutes to remove Brewer van due to the severity of the wreck.
A Northeast Mississippi Medical Center helicopter attempted to land at the scene four times but could not due to the slanted curve in the highway by the wreck. An ambulance then arrived to take Brewer to the Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle, where he was transferred to the helicopter and flown to Jackson.
Dillon said no other people were in the van, and no other injuries were reported from the wreck.
Authorities released no further details on the accident.
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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