In The News

Trucker charged in co-driver's death

GULFPORT, Miss. — A 49-year-old truck driver from Gloster, Miss., has been charged with leaving the scene of a fatal accident, in which a pedestrian was killed.

Willie Ellis Collins was arrested Tuesday and was held on $250,000 bond in the Harrison County jail.

Harrison County prosecuting attorney Herman Cox says Collins is accused of leaving his companion and co-truck driver, 40-year-old Tonya Reed, dead Monday alongside the onramp to Interstate 10 East.

Authorities say they believe that Smith and Reed had argued, and Smith drove off from the Flying J Travel Plaza and apparently didn’t realize Reed had tried to climb back up on the truck.