Pregnant woman, 6-year-old girl among victims in collision near busy Mississippi shopping district

Published 5:43 am Sunday, August 1, 2021

A six-year-old girl and a woman who was 3 months pregnant were among the victims in a Saturday morning crash near a busy Mississippi shopping district.

Officials identified the victims Saturday, according to Jackson news sources.

Shanarne Tonshenie Williams, 33, who was three months pregnant, and her 6-year-old daughter were passengers in a vehicle driven by Michael Watson, 34, when Watson turned out of a Flowood shopping center and started traveling the wrong way down Lakeland Drive.

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A short time later, the vehicle Watson was driving collided with another car on the highway,

Williams and her 6-year-old daughter were killed in the wreck. Watson was transported to a local hospital where he was listed in critical condition. Paula J. Prem, 62, who was driving the other vehicle in the collision, also died in the wreck.

According to Jackson news sources, a Flowood police officer attempted to stop a vehicle for careless driving on Lakeland Drive near the Dogwood Shopping Center area.

The driver, later identified as Watson,  reportedly attempted to flee the officer by turning into a shopping center parking lot. When the Watson reportedly turned back on to Lakeland Drive, the officer did not follow because the vehicle entered the highway going the wrong way, according to news sources.

Soon after, the Watson’s vehicle collided with an oncoming vehicle, driven by Prem.