Holiday Weekend Keeps Emergency Responders Busy
11:07 – Vehicle burns on the side of Hwy. 32 West.
11:09:18 – Sylva Rena volunteer firefighter Curtis Godwin pours water on the vehicle just seconds after arrival.
11:09:36 – Firefighter Godwin moves in closer.
11:12 – Blaze has been knocked down. On the far right can be seen the pine tree struck by the vehicle. Godwin is being backed up by Aron Bennett.
11:14:46 – Godwin shoots water under hood. Bennett Hill is kneeling in the black coat, Larry Lawyer standing with the flash light, Aron Bennett is holding the fire hose, Richard Wilhite is in the background standing by the truck and Chief Eddie Hyde is standing on the truck at the controls.
A crash at the intersection of I-55 and Hwy. 32 at Oakland Friday afternoon was the first incident of the weekend. Although three cars were involved, only the driver of the Ford car (above) required medical care and was transported by Yalobusha General Hospital’s ambulance to Tri-Lakes Hospital in Batesville. – Photo by David Howell
By Jack Gurner
Reporter
OAKLAND – Emergency responders had to deal with several incidents in the west side of Yalobusha County over the Memorial Day holiday period.
On Friday at 3:48 p.m. a three-car crash at the Oakland exit of I-55 sent one person to the Grenada Lake Medical Center. A vehicle exiting the Interstate collided with vehicles traveling on Hwy. 32.
The Mississippi Highway Patrol worked the accident with Yalobusha Sheriffs Deputies assisting with traffic control.
On Saturday, Oakland and Tillatoba volunteer firefighters were called out at 7:47 p.m. to a car fire with a structure in danger on Hwy. 51 about two miles north of the Hwy 32 intersection. The fire was quickly brought under control.
Later than evening, Deputies responded to a pine tree across County Road 211 east of Oakland. They removed the tree by attaching a chain and using their vehicles to drag it from the road after the dispatcher was unable to reach a county supervisor.
On Monday, Oakland firefighters assisted by volunteers from Yalobusha County and Tallahatchie County departments fought a mobile home fire on County Road 174 north of Oakland.
The blaze was reported at 7:02 p.m. and some of the units were on the scene until around midnight. The structure was a total loss, according to reports.
Back on the east side of the county, a vehicle ran off Hwy 32 West, struck a pine tree, and caught fire. The incident occurred just before 11 p.m. Friday about two-and-a-half miles west of Water Valley near County Road 268.
The original radio call stated that a “10-50” (vehicle crash) had occurred at that location and that the driver was out of the vehicle and walking around. A few moments later the dispatcher paged out the Sylva Rena Volunteer Fire Department after receiving additional reports that the vehicle was ablaze.
Firefighters began arriving on the scene within minutes followed by the pumper truck at 11:08. Volunteers were fighting the blaze within about 30 seconds of arrival.
It took about two minutes to knock down the fire, which would flare occasionally with an explosive shower of sparks. The fire was well under control by 11:14.
The vehicle, which had personalized plates from Monroe County, was headed westbound when it left the roadway. There were no injuries in the crash.
