Accident Takes Lives Of Couple
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WATER VALLEY – A husband and wife were killed in a single vehicle crash on South Main Street in Water Valley Saturday night. Yalobusha County Coroner Ronnie Stark reported Loretta Kaye Smith, 70, and Thomas Gordon Smith, also age 70, were pronounced dead at the scene.
Water Valley Police Chief Jason Mangrum reported the couple were headed south and ran off the road on the south side of Otoucalofa Creek around 6:30 p.m. The chief also said that Yalobusha County deputies, the Water Valley Fire Department, EMA and EMS responded to assist with the crash.
“Our hearts go out to their family, this was a tragic event,” Mangrum added.
The couple had been married for 51 years. See page 6 for funeral arrangements.
Chief Mangrum also reported a Chevrolet Camaro that was stolen in Memphis was recovered Sunday night.
Water Valley officers and deputies with the sheriff’s department responded to a residence on North Main Street on the north side of the bypass.
“The caller reported there was a suspicious person in their backyard,” Mangrum explained.
While investigating, a deputy ran the vehicle identification number of a vehicle parked near the property and discovered it had been stolen in Memphis a few days earlier. The chief said that several vehicles left the area before officers arrived.
“We really don’t know what was going on, it was unusual for a vehicle to be parked back there. We don’t know why they picked that spot or how they picked that spot,” the chief added about the location of the vehicle.
Several additional vehicles had been in the vicinity when the caller reported the suspicious activity, but left before officers arrived leaving Mangrum to speculate.
“I talked to officers with the Memphis Police Department and they reported that several vehicles were stolen in the timeframe the Camaro was stolen. This could have been a group associated with a car theft ring, and the other vehicles that fled before we arrived may also be involved. But how they ended up at a random area on North Main remains a mystery,” Mangrum added.
