LUMBERTON, Pearl River County, Miss., Sept. 21, 2026 — One man died, and another was injured on Saturday afternoon, September 19, after a pickup truck left Interstate 59 and struck a tree in Pearl River County, according to the Mississippi Highway Patrol.
The crash happened around 1 p.m. on I-59 as a 2019 GMC Sierra traveled north, troopers said. The truck ran off the roadway and hit a tree, according to the agency's account.
The driver, identified by the Mississippi Highway Patrol as Danny Breaux Jr., 51, of Lumberton, Mississippi, was pronounced dead at the scene. A passenger, identified as Danny Breaux III, of Purvis, Mississippi, was taken to a local hospital with injuries. His condition has not been released.
The crash remains under investigation by the Mississippi Highway Patrol. No additional details on what led the truck to leave the roadway have been made public.
Our sympathies are with the family of the person who lost their life.
Who Faces the Greatest Risk in Single-Vehicle Roadway Departures
Crashes where a vehicle leaves the road and strikes a fixed object, like a tree, guardrail, or pole, tend to concentrate among certain groups of drivers more than others. Younger drivers with less experience judging curves and speed show up in these crashes at higher rates, but so do drivers on long, monotonous highway stretches where fatigue or a lapse in attention can let a vehicle drift.
Occupants in the front seats, especially unbelted ones, face the most serious injuries once a vehicle leaves the pavement and strikes a tree or embankment. The sudden stop when a vehicle hits a fixed object concentrates the force of the crash into a much shorter distance than a collision with another car, which is part of why these crashes usually prove fatal for the driver even when a passenger survives.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, one person was killed every 13 minutes in traffic crashes in 2023. Rural interstates and highways, where speeds are higher and trees or ditches sit close to the shoulder, remain a common setting for this type of crash.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do fatal single-vehicle crashes usually happen?
They cluster on rural highways and interstates, where higher speeds and roadside obstacles like trees, poles, and ditches sit close to the travel lane.
What makes a roadway departure crash more likely to be fatal?
Higher speed, striking a fixed object rather than another vehicle, and not wearing a seat belt all raise the odds of serious or fatal injury.
Does seat belt use really change the outcome?
Yes. A seat belt keeps an occupant positioned in the seat during a sudden stop, reducing the chance of being thrown into the windshield, dashboard, or out of the vehicle entirely.
What to Do After a Single-Vehicle Crash in Lumberton, MS
If you're involved in a crash where a vehicle leaves the road, call 911 immediately and stay as safe as possible until help arrives. Even if injuries seem minor at first, it's worth getting checked by a medical professional, since some injuries from a sudden impact don't show symptoms right away.
Get a copy of the official crash report once it's available, and keep records of any medical treatment or vehicle damage. If you or a family member were involved, cooperating with the investigating agency and following up on the report's findings can help clarify what happened.
