Eugene Nyavor
One person is dead following a head-on collision that involved a shoplifting suspect who had fled police in McComb on Wednesday afternoon.
Steven Butler, 27, of Kentwood, La., is in custody and faces numerous charges after sustaining injuries in the wreck on Highway 24 in Amite County.
Derrick Magee, 34, of McComb was killed in the wreck, which occurred at 5:49 p.m., Mississippi Highway Patrol spokesman Cpl. Craig James said.
James said Magee was eastbound in a 2005 Chevrolet Suburban and Butler was westbound in a 2014 Chevrolet Tahoe when the two vehicles collided near East Fork.
Police Chief Juan Cloy said officers were alerted to the shoplifting, saw the suspect’s vehicle and pursued him through Burglund before losing contact with his vehicle.
Police later found the suspect’s vehicle behind a house on Lynn Street and tried to hem him in.
A brief foot pursuit ensued, and Butler got back in his vehicle and hit another vehicle that was on blocks while it was under repair, and that vehicle hit a McComb officer, injuring his leg.
The pursuit resumed on Broadway until police lost sight of Butler’s vehicle near the Camellian Motel, Cloy said.
Cloy said police received a report about 30 minutes later that Butler had been involved in the crash.
Magee was killed in the collision and pronounced dead on the scene, while Butler received injuries that are not considered life-threatening.
