Fatal accident on I-10 near Diamondhead

A Florida woman has died and a man is arrested and charged after a wreck on Interstate 10 westbound near Diamondhead.

The accident occurred around 10 a.m. when a procession of family members was headed to Louisiana to go to a park. Initial reports indicate five vehicles and two motorcycles were involved in the crash. The female motorcyclist was pronounced dead on the scene. According to the Hancock County coroner, her husband was transported to Gulfport Memorial Hospital and is suffering from a broken neck.

According to Captain John Luther with the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, the accident occurred due to a verbal altercation between family members in one of the vehicles. “The male individual that had the verbal altercation allegedly pulled in front of the lead vehicle, the procession of the family, causing him to slam his brakes which caused a chain reaction. There were two motorcyclists behind the family procession. They did not have time to react.”

The Harrison County man who pulled in front of the lead vehicle is in custody. Hancock County Sheriff Ricky Adams says he is being charged with negligent homicide and causing mayhem. Those charges may be upgraded if the hospitalized man’s condition changes.