A student at Alcorn State died after a crash on Thursday morning, and officials say that the severe weather in the area was a factor.
Around 3:00 a.m., a Nissan sedan with three people inside was headed back to campus following a Halloween party when the car collided with a downed tree on U.S. 61 near MS 462 in Claiborne County.
The driver of the car and another passenger were uninjured, but 19-year-old Jayla Gray of Jackson died in the crash. The Mississippi Highway Patrol responded to the scene after the driver called 911. Officials stated that Gray was wearing her seatbelt at the time of the crash.
“The passing of a student deeply affects the entire Alcorn family and is especially difficult and heartbreaking,” the University said in a statement. “Alcorn sends our deepest sympathies and prayers to Jayla’s parents, family, and friends. We give thanks for her life and for the scholastic talents and vitality that she brought to Alcorn. We will keep our memories of her alive in our hearts and ask the Alcorn community to keep all of Jayla’s loved ones and friends along with faculty, staff, and students, in their thoughts and prayers.”
Gray was a sophomore elementary education major, and she was active with both the gospel and concert choirs.
