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One dead, one injured in wreck
Published Monday, August 18, 2008
CORRECTION: This story originally contained an error. Adams County Coroner James Lee orders autopsies. We regret the error and are happy to set the record straight.
Sewa Singh, 39, of Deer Park, N.Y., was traveling westbound on U.S. 84 with his father Malkiate Singh, 74, Deer Park, N.Y., when he hit a 2005 freightliner parked on the northbound side of the road near the Trace crossover.
“It appears the driver lost control (and) ran off the roadway,” said Sgt. Rusty Boyd of the Mississippi Highway Patrol.
The driver of the 18-wheeler, Benjamin Morales, 36, of Houston, Texas, was in the sleeper cab at the time, Boyd said.
He was not injured.
Malkiate Singer had severe injuries, Boyd said.
He was first taken to Natchez Regional Medical Center but then transported to Jackson.
“I have no confirmation on where he went,” he said.
Boyd said no one involved in the accident was wearing a seat belt.
However, no one was ejected from either vehicle.
Adams County Coroner James Lee ordered the autopsy.
“It showed that he had a fractured C-spine,” Lee said.
Lee said Sewa Singh is a native of India and he is working with the family to help “determine the disposition of the body.”
Lee said he hasn’t seen a wreck so bad in a long time.
“It’s one of the worst tragedies I’ve ever seen,” he said.
Troop M of the Mississippi Highway Patrol, the Adams County Sheriff’s Office and the Natchez Police Department responded to the call that came in at 7:10 p.m.



Comments
Posted by Peace007 (anonymous) on August 18, 2008 at 1:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Good luck for Mr. Singh's recovery. Sorry about the son. It must be a terrible ordeal being in a foreign country and injured in an accident that takes your son's life. God bless.
Posted by lookingout (anonymous) on August 18, 2008 at 2:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
they were living in NY peace007 they were just from india to begin with
Posted by redusmfan (anonymous) on August 18, 2008 at 7:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Sad. I wonder what they were doing in Natchez? Anybody know?
Posted by MayJay (anonymous) on August 18, 2008 at 7:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
@ redusmfan- um hello Natchez is a tourist town so maybe they were tourist?????
Posted by redusmfan (anonymous) on August 18, 2008 at 7:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I understand what you are saying, May, But these people do not normally tour...they buy...small businesses....just curious.
Posted by OldGrandDad (anonymous) on August 18, 2008 at 8:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I have a good deal of contact with people living in India and most of the ones I talk to have relatives in the U.S. And I find that many of them have visited more U.S. places than I have.
My sincere condolences to the family.
Posted by sayitloud (anonymous) on August 18, 2008 at 8:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Whoa! Good point red! I hadn't thought of that one.
Posted by itsmemame (anonymous) on August 18, 2008 at 9:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Ms. Hood, James Lee is the coroner not a pathologist. He investigates the cause of death but he cannot perform an autopsy.
Posted by sayitloud (anonymous) on August 18, 2008 at 9:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It SAYS he performed the autopsy.
Posted by NTZglasshouses (anonymous) on August 18, 2008 at 10:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Wow Hardcorps, thats pretty cold.
Posted by mike8427 (anonymous) on August 18, 2008 at 10:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I didn't understand the quote from James Lee either. He is not a medical doctor, why would he be perfoming an autopsy?
Posted by babygirl77 (anonymous) on August 18, 2008 at 10:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)
These people ran a store in Vidalia called Wag-A-Sack/Texaco, the son recently remodled the store and opened it back up and was doing quite well. The name of the store now is Continental, across the street from Raceway. We Vidalians, will always call this store Wag-a-sack/Texaco. They really were nice people, my son said Mr. Sewa Singh would always give him extra candy. I am very sorry about this tragic accident, and my heart goes out to the family. God Bless!
Posted by aak1972 (anonymous) on August 18, 2008 at 10:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I bet Ms Hood made an error and Mr. Lee was only quoting the report from the autopsy.
Posted by kpage (anonymous) on August 18, 2008 at 10:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Horrible, horrible. I know the man you're talking about, babygirl! He let me have a lighter case for half price once. He is a nice man. I hate that his son died in the wreck. Didn't he help his dad run the store?
red...I can't imagine what this man is going through now. Bless his heart. I wonder if he was his ONLY son? Do they place as much importance on every boy child born or just on the first born? I passed my World Religion class with flying colors but I don't remember that part..what a shame.
Posted by aak1972 (anonymous) on August 18, 2008 at 11:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
So he had a store in vidalia and a NY adress? Wonder if he tried to get kids into Vidalia school?
Posted by Hardcorps (anonymous) on August 18, 2008 at 11:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
So one of the convenience stores or small motels may be shut down for a few days?
Posted by Krogers (anonymous) on August 18, 2008 at 11:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
that truck shouldn't've been parked there
but I guess that wasn't really illegal
seems like the driver could have picked a better place to pull over and sleep
Natchez could use a decent truck stop
Posted by NTZglasshouses (anonymous) on August 18, 2008 at 11:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
and the democrats internal clock is wrong...my post was waaay after Harcorps post...which is now 4 below mine.
Posted by redusmfan (anonymous) on August 18, 2008 at 11:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Sorry the guy died, but curiousity was just getting the best of me. I bet he had been south on a business trip and was heading back towards home. The fathers life has come to a screeching halt right now. The son in the Indian Culture is the most prized child and now his son is dead...he is probably inconsolable right now. Very sad
Posted by triscuit (anonymous) on August 18, 2008 at 11:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Krogers is right. The shoulder is for emergency stopping only.
Posted by aak1972 (anonymous) on August 18, 2008 at 11:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
actually a truck driver is allowed to park on the shoulder as long as the proper markers are placed.
Posted by babygirl77 (anonymous) on August 18, 2008 at 12:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Actually, the son ran the store, but the dad would always be there. I go to this store on a daily basis, I live a few blocks from the store.
Posted by chevytuf (anonymous) on August 18, 2008 at 12:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I was the second car to stop at the wreck. The truck was not on the shoulder it was in the grass. The son lost control of the car while it was raining and the car ran under the trucks trailer.
Posted by triscuit (anonymous) on August 18, 2008 at 12:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Glad the truck was off the shoulder. I looked it up and found that MS law requires 20 feet between the parked vehicle and the traveled lane, so the truck may have been "legal," depending on how visible it was. I couldn't find anything about a requirement to place markers.
Roads are dangerous in the rain. I wouldn't drive right up against someone, either beside or behind, if I could help it. You may have control of your vehicle, by God's grace, but it doesn't mean the other drivers have control of theirs. Such a tragedy.
Posted by dixiemama (anonymous) on August 18, 2008 at 1:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Sad lost for Vidalia. The employees are always so nice & the store is cleaner than it's been in years.
Mr. Singh's recovery will need the communities support to get him through the lose of his son. Let's pray his recover is fast & easy.
Posted by jack (anonymous) on August 18, 2008 at 2:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
james lee says things he cannot do or that he does
he was sued by the sheriff in concordia for remarks he made in one of their cases
he is a policeman in fayette and areserve officer at adams so and has applications at vidalia pd, ferriday pd and natchez pd and working when the citizens that elected him need him JAMES YOU NEED TO DECIDE IF YOU WANT TO BE A POLICEMAN OR A DOCTOR
Posted by dragonflyday (anonymous) on August 18, 2008 at 2:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
i'm so sorry for this family's heartache,GOD BLESS this family in this time of need. as for james lee ,yes he needs to make his mind up,cause it's so hard to get him on the phone.he james lee said this was the worst tragedies he had seen in awhile, he also said that about my brother's death. i guess it's just something he says every time this happens. as for the mhp,i say don't take any advice from the acso and you would be better off on any wreck that happens.
Posted by jack (anonymous) on August 18, 2008 at 3:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
yes dragonlady dial his phone and you get a church song just crazy for a person elected I think the county pays for his phone with our tax dollars and for your quote about acso you know in your heart your brothers wreck was a accident sometimes they happen what do you want the man that was involved to go to prison have you been to the district attorney with your problems quit beating a dead horse
Posted by jack (anonymous) on August 18, 2008 at 3:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
oh your quote is right all are the worst james lee has ever saw i am tired of hearing that one
Posted by aak1972 (anonymous) on August 18, 2008 at 4:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
James is working in Fayette to keep up his law enfocemnt hour requirements. He is doing this to become a better coroner and the Fayette department is the most flexible alternative. How did we get to bashing the coroner??
Posted by Swapmeet (anonymous) on August 18, 2008 at 4:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I believe the people that run the little gas station on the main campus of Alcorn State said they used to be in business with a guy in Vidalia but then they got out because they bought a store in Fayette and they were just stretched thin traveling between all their stores. I don't know their ethnicity, but I always thought they were Indian because of a turban the woman wears. It looks more Indian in style than middle eastern. I wonder if they were connected to these people in anyway. I was there today and the man seemed quite subdued (at ASU, that is). I feel sorry for anyone to have to lose someone in such a tragic way.
Posted by andy (anonymous) on August 18, 2008 at 5:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
yes i am from fayette and he is a cop there thats all i have to say about it but your are right jack
Posted by aak1972 (anonymous) on August 18, 2008 at 5:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Its not that im against them having other intrest, i was responding to the bashing of Mr Lee for having other intrest
Posted by aak1972 (anonymous) on August 18, 2008 at 5:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Name me one elected official that is 100% fulltime with no other income or profesional intrest! The mayor, aldermen or supervisor?
Posted by andy (anonymous) on August 18, 2008 at 6:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
the mayor of natchez sold his business to his brother
Posted by aak1972 (anonymous) on August 18, 2008 at 6:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Thats completely false
Posted by aak1972 (anonymous) on August 18, 2008 at 6:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Ha Fred or Tom???
Posted by dragonflyday (anonymous) on August 19, 2008 at 2 a.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by dragonflyday (anonymous) on August 19, 2008 at 8:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
how is it my post gets pulled,see this is what i've been talking about no one wants to here the truth, because it didn't happen to them, jack you are heartless person, you need GOD in your life. freedom of speech natchez democrat,my post was to what jack wrote about beating a dead horse. did i it a nerve with my post, if so GOOD. pull this one.
Posted by rose18 (anonymous) on August 19, 2008 at 11:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
i am so sorry to for youls lose, i know how his parents feel i also lost a child in a car wreck almost five years ago it seems like yestereday my God with youl family
Posted by rgkaur (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 1:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I knew Sewa Singh since the early 90's. He worked with my Uncle and my Father for many years at our store in NYC. He was a good family friend, Sewa was a good man. We were very close to him, but grew apart as time went on and we went our seperate ways. I saw him a couple of months back but didn't get a chance to say hello. I really regret it! I feel bad for his family and especially his wife who was looking forward to coming to the US in a few months to be with him. God Bless!
R.I.P.
Posted by nyc1671b (anonymous) on August 24, 2008 at 5:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I almost can't believe it till now. My husband is in Jackson as we speak for his funeral. They were good friends as they worked in the same company in NJ. We are from New York. I met him twice, once in my kids's birthday party and again in december of last year. He was very nice, down to earth, gentle and highly respectable man. I was in shock when i heard the news and I can't even imagine his family overseas. His wife, mother, brother and also his father. I heard his father was resting next to him in the passenger's seat as he was tired. May be thats why he survived. Let us all pray. May he rest in peace.
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