Driver in deadly Marion Co. accident charged with manslaughter
MARION COUNTY, MS (WDAM) - The driver in a Marion County wreck that killed two people on Tuesday night has been charged with two counts of manslaughter, one count of fleeing law enforcement and aggravated assault on a police officer.
Kevin Allen, 40, was charged after he ran his 2013 Chevrolet off the shoulder of the road, causing his vehicle to overturn and hit trees during a high-speed chase, according to a Marion County Sheriff's Office news release. Two passengers, Damien Swarptue and Lacurtis Floyd, died from their injuries.
Swarptue, of Hattiesburg, was pronounced dead at the scene while Lacurtis Floyd, of McComb, died shortly after arriving at the hospital.
According to the Mississippi Highway Patrol, another vehicle accident involving a Marion County Sheriff's Office car happened at the same location. Officials said the deputy ran off the left shoulder of the road, causing the vehicle to overturn. The deputy was taken to the hospital to be treated for minor injuries.
The Marion County Sheriff's Office said that both crashes resulted from a safety checkpoint that led to a high-speed chase. The checkpoint was located in the area of 198 West in Columbia.
Officials said Allen, a Jackson native, was seen driving recklessly to avoid the checkpoint, fleeing onto Highway 98 West. Columbia Police Department officers pursued Allen with assistance from a Marion County Sheriff's Office deputy.
The chase led them to the Kokomo community, which is when the deputy and officers tried to get in front of Allen's vehicle in an effort to clear a pathway for the pursuit, but when they Marion County Sheriff's Office deputy tried to pass the vehicle, officials said the suspect's vehicle struck it, resulting in both cars swerving out of control.
Authorities said they found multiple firearms that had recently been fired in the vehicle, along with possible narcotic paraphernalia.
The Mississippi Highway Patrol is investigating the crash, while the criminal investigation is being handled by the Marion County Sheriff's Office.
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