A head-on collision on a rural Mississippi highway claimed the lives of three people Thursday night.

Officials in Sharkey County confirmed the fatalities to the Vicksburg Post Friday morning.

On Thursday, July 20, 2023, at approximately 10:39 p.m., the Mississippi Highway Patrol responded to a fatal crash on Highway 61 in Sharkey County.

A 2020 Ford Escape driven by 44-year-old Bertha S. Blackledge of Vicksburg, MS, traveled north on Highway 61 when it collided with a 2010 Pontiac G6 driven by 49-year-old Kenan L. Baker of Greenville, MS, traveling south on Highway 61.

Bertha Blackledge, Kenan Walker, and 39-year-old Shankia L. Williams, of Glen Allan, a passenger in the Pontiac G6, received fatal injuries from the crash and were pronounced dead on the scene.

This crash remains under investigation by the Mississippi Highway Patrol.