A man was found dead behind the wheel of his vehicle after the man initiated a chase with Mississippi police Thursday morning.

The incident began shortly before 1 a.m. when officers from the Hernando Police Department initiated a traffic stop on a blue Ford F-150 near Pleasant Hill Road on Interstate 55. The vehicle, occupied by a man and a woman, pulled over at a nearby weigh station.

After officers identified the woman and she exited the vehicle, the male driver remained inside, requesting to make a phone call. Instead of complying, the driver sped away, prompting a high-speed chase.

The pursuit concluded when the driver pulled over on the right shoulder of I-55 near Church Road. When officers approached the vehicle, they received no response from the driver. Breaking a window to gain access, officers discovered the man unconscious with a handgun in his lap.

Emergency medical personnel were immediately called to the scene, but the driver was pronounced dead. The DeSoto County Coroner took custody of the body. The man’s identity has not been released, pending notification of his family.

No officers were injured during the incident. The Hernando Police Department confirmed that the Southaven Police Department, the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Department, and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation are assisting with the ongoing investigation.