A regional team of first responders is conducting a search for an Oktibbeha County woman who is missing in southwestern Clay County.
Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott said officials have been out since about 5 a.m. Thursday looking for Victoria Hudson. Hudson, a 23-year-old black woman, has been missing since an early morning crash where her car left the road on Moon Valley Road, off of Highway 50.
Scott said officials from across the Golden Triangle, including Clay, Lowndes, Noxubee and Oktibbeha counties, participated in a search for Hudson on Thursday. With the day done, he said they’re preparing to resume searching for her at 6:30 a.m. Friday, if Hudson is not found overnight.
He said a regional task force command trailer from Lowndes County is being set up overnight to assist Friday’s efforts.
Thursday’s efforts included aerial searching, including some drones. Scott said he doesn’t know how useful that will be, going forward, due to the terrain.
“There’s a lot of timber and gullies,” he said. “It’s difficult.”
Oktibbeha County Emergency Management Director Kristen Campanella said responders initially believed Hudson was in Oktibbeha County. She said Hudson, who contacted law enforcement at about 3:40 a.m. after the crash, thought she was in the Polly Bell Road area. Hudson called 911 twice, Campanella said, and both times was routed to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office before requesting to be transferred to Oktibbeha County.
However, Campanella said coordinates showed that Hudson’s cell phone was last active in Clay County.
“We got coordinates from C Spire around 10 (a.m.) she said. “Coordinates are more reliable than what tower she’s pinging off of. By having those, we can narrow it down to exactly where her phone was.”
Campanella said an Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Office deputy remained on the phone with Hudson until her phone lost power at 7:33 a.m.
Scott said responders have found Hudson’s vehicle, after a Tennessee Valley Authority helicopter spotted it. He said it was “way off” the road.
Officials ask that anyone with information on Hudson’s location contact the Clay County Sheriff’s Office at 662-494-2896
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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