News Release

Motor Vehicle Collision with Fatality

Date: November 12, 2020
Contact: Park Ranger Stephen Dollinger, 606-856-7321

CLINTON, MS – On November 11, 2020, at approximately 9 am, National Park Service rangers received a report about a vehicle collision between two motor vehicles that resulted in a fatality near Milepost 91 in Clinton, MS. 

The vehicle, a 2004 white Honda Accord, was driven by Ikela Myeisha Kari Gaddis, 24 of Jackson, MS. Preliminary information indicates that the Honda Accord was traveling southbound on the Parkway near Milepost 91 when it entered the northbound lane and caused a head-on collision with a 2000 GM Yukon. Gaddis was pronounced deceased at the scene, and the Yukon operator was taken to UMMC by an ambulance with non-life threatening injuries.  

Parkway Rangers and the Ridgeland Police Department reconstructionist team are currently investigating the collision to determine the cause of the collision. Preliminary investigation shows the Honda operator was speeding, not wearing a seatbelt, did not possess a driver’s license, did not have vehicle insurance, and a possessed small amount of marijuana. Chief Ranger Prashant Lotwala stated, “Natchez Trace Parkway is a unit of the National Park Service. The Parkway should be used for a scenic drive to enjoy the views the Parkway has to offer. Statistics show fatal crashes have at least one of the following elements: speeding, failure to wear a seatbelt, driving without a license, the presence of alcohol or drugs, or distracted driving. In this crash, at least four are present if not all five. Fatalities cannot be undone, so please drive with care.” 

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