One killed, two injured in the late-night auto accident

Published 12:52 am Saturday, March 16, 2013

Jay Sowers / The Natchez Democrat — Emergency personnel drape a white sheet over the driver's side of a heavily damaged GMC suv after the vehicle was involved in a fatal accident at the intersection of Aldrich Street and Old Devereaux Street in Natchez late Friday evening.

Jay Sowers / The Natchez Democrat — Emergency personnel drape a white sheet over the driver’s side of a heavily damaged GMC SUV after the vehicle was involved in a fatal accident at the intersection of Aldrich Street and Old Devereaux Street in Natchez late Friday night.

NATCHEZ — A Natchez man was killed Friday night after he lost control of his vehicle and hit a utility pole at the intersection of Aldrich and Old D’Evereux streets.

Natchez Police Detective Jerry Ford said Avery Johnson, 27, 116 Opal Drive, left Williams Apartments on Aldrich Street at approximately 11:20 p.m. with two passengers, Debra Richardson, 25, 15 Pintard St., and Maurice Chatman, 21, 21 Henderson St., driving a 1996 GMC Yukon.

“When they got to Old D’Evereux Street, (Johnson) apparently lost control of the vehicle, went up on the embankment and hit the utility pole,” Ford said.

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Johnson, Richardson and Chatman were not wearing their seatbelts, Ford said, according to officers that responded to the accident.

Ford said Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene. He said Richardson and Chatman suffered minor injuries to the face and chest.

Ford said Richardson and Chatman were suspected to have been drinking by the smell of alcohol. He said police are not sure if Johnson had been drinking. No evidence of alcohol was found in the vehicle, Ford said.