A second child involved the Sunday car accident that already claimed the life of a woman and her grandson has died from his injuries, the Mississippi Highway Patrol confirmed today.
Dakota Burnett, 9, died at 2:50 a.m. today at Batson Children’s Hospital in Jackson, Lowndes County Coroner Greg Merchant said and MHP confirmed. Burnett was airlifted to the hospital following the Sunday morning crash and had been on life-support since the accident.
Dorothy Bunton, of Orlando, Florida, and Raymond Karr, Jr., 10, died at the accident scene. Karr and Burnett are cousins and both attended Caledonia Elementary School, part of the Lowndes County School District.
There was no update on the condition of Bunton’s husband, James Bunton, 61, who was the driver of the pickup that collided with an 18-wheeler at the intersection of Highway 45 and Spurline/Land Road in Lowndes County. The intersection is a two-way stop and drivers on Highway 45 — where the tractor-trailer was traveling — have right-of-way. A MHP press release said the pickup was traveling east through the intersection when the collision occurred.
The driver of the 18-wheeler suffered minor injuries.
“This is just an awful tragedy,” said Lowndes County School District Superintendent Lynn Wright. “Our thoughts and prayers are with all the family and friends there in Caledonia in this terrible loss. I know the whole school district joins me in sending our condolences to the family.”
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