STARKVILLE — Speeding and alcohol likely played a role in a one-vehicle accident in which one person was killed and six others injured, three seriously, early Wednesday morning.
According to the Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to an accident call near the intersection of Oktoc and Skinner roads shortly after midnight, where they found a black 1999 Ford Explorer overturned in the woods nearby.
Treasure Huffman, 19, a Mississippi State University freshman from Starkville, was pronounced dead at the scene. Six others were transported to Oktibbeha County Hospital, where three were treated and released and three others transported to critical care units at hospitals in Tupelo and Jackson.
The OCSO released no other information, citing the status of the accident as an ongoing investigation.
However, a family member of one of the men injured in the accident provided many details.
Alexandra Kapaun, of Jackson, said her brother, Matthew Harman, suffered a broken arm and cuts and bruises from the accident and was released from OCH Wednesday.
Kapaun said her brother, who could not be reached for comment, identified the other occupants as Austin Poole, 19, of Jackson, Kaylan Smith of Starkville, John Tucker Bailey, 21, of Flowood, Jonathan Dean, 23, of Jackson, and Rixie Mackey, 20, of Starkville. Harman, 21, is from Jackson. All are students at MSU, with the exception of Poole, who attended East Mississippi Community College this spring.
Kapaun said Smith was transported to North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo, while Bailey and Dean were sent to University Medical Center in Jackson.
Kapaun said her brother gave her a detailed account of what happened.
“He did say that they had all be drinking, except for Treasure,” Kapaun said. “He said they started out at my brother’s apartment at the Highlands, drank a few beers and decided to go drive the back roads.
“My brother was in the backseat and Treasure was in his lap,” she continued. “Austin was driving, he said. He said they were probably going too fast and they were going down a road and reached a dead end and couldn’t stop in time. They went off into the woods, hits some trees and flipped two or three times. He said he didn’t remember much after that.”
University Medical Center this morning confirmed Bailey is in fair condition and Dean is in stable condition.
North Mississippi Medical Center listed Smith as being in fair condition.
Visitation for Huffman will be held from today from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Welch Funeral Home in Starkville. Funeral services are scheduled for Friday at 2 p.m. at Adaton Baptist Church in Starkville.
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