Two off-duty Vicksburg Fire Department firefighters are dead after a crash on I-20 early Sunday morning.
Witnesses said the red Corvette was exiting the interstate when the driver lost control of the vehicle causing it to veer off the road and into a utility pole. The vehicle caught fire upon impact, WLBT reported.
Killed in the wreck were Firefighter/Paramedic Jarod Squire, 26. who started in December 2020, and Firefighter/EMT Derico Davis, 19, who was about to celebrate his first year with the department.
Squire, who was driving, was ejected.
Vicksburg Fire Chief Derrick Stamps said the two were returning from a Halloween party when the crash occurred. He said the incident scene was emotional as friends and family were stopping by.
He said the young men were just starting their careers and their loss is being felt not only by the department, but the community as well.
The Vicksburg mayor and board of alderman said in a statement:
"Join me in praying for our Vicksburg families of the fallen firefighters and the City of Vicksburg. We extend our deepest condolences to the families during this tragic time of loss. Our fallen firefighters served our community with valor, and their legacy will forever burn bright in our hearts.”
