The woman accused of killing a beloved Mississippi teacher in a wrong-way crash on Interstate 55 has pleaded not guilty, according to an indictment released on Wednesday.
Jordan Leah Sullivan, 32, of Louisville, is alleged to have been under the influence when she was driving on the wrong side of the roadway in Gluckstadt on June 22. Police from the scene said Sullivan crashed into another vehicle, killing Canton teacher Tyra Small-Jackson, 48.
After the incident, the Canton Public School District said Small-Jackson was a “loving and dedicated educator in the district who will be sorely missed in our community.” She had been teaching in the district for 23 years before her death and was honored as Nichols Middle School’s 2023-24 Teacher of the Year.
Sullivan was arrested and charged with one count of aggravated DUI in connection with the fatal crash, later being released on a $250,000 bond. According to Mississippi law, driving under the influence and causing the death of another person is classified as aggravated DUI and carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.
The two-page indictment said Sullivan had a blood alcohol level higher than the state’s legal limit at the time of the wreck. She was indicted in September and will now go to trial in February.
Sullivan had a lengthy rap sheet before the crash, according to WLBT. She was arrested in June 2015 and charged with possession of meth and driving under the influence in Winston County. After agreeing to enter a court-ordered drug program, she failed multiple drug tests and was once again in possession of meth. In May 2016, she was sentenced to three years in prison but was granted parole after a little over a year behind bars.
