COPIAH COUNTY, Miss. — A quiet Monday afternoon turned tragic when a car and tractor-trailer collided on Interstate 55 north of Hazlehurst, leaving 18-year-old Francesca Doss dead and her driver friend badly injured.
The Mississippi Highway Patrol says the crash happened around midday. The tractor-trailer, driven by a 62-year-old man heading north, struck a car driven by a 20-year-old. Francesca was riding as a passenger. She suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead right there at the scene.
The driver of the car didn’t escape serious harm. He was airlifted to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson with critical injuries. Fortunately, the truck driver walked away unscathed.
Authorities are still piecing together exactly what went wrong. Speed, visibility, mechanical failure, or driver error—all remain on the table as they probe the wreckage and interview witnesses.
The loss has devastated Francesca’s family, friends, and the Fayette community. Described by those who knew her as vibrant, kindhearted, and full of promise, she was already making people smile in small ways and had dreams ahead.
As memorial posts and condolences flood social media, locals share memories of her laughter, her gentle spirit, moments she quietly helped others, and the shock that someone so young is now gone. The funeral arrangements haven’t yet been announced.
This collision is still under investigation, and officials urge anyone with potential information or dashcam footage to come forward. In the meantime, a community mourns—and a young life ends too soon.