Willie Simmons Jr., 69, killed in log truck crash on Spring Hill Road and Joe Reyer Road in Pearl River County, Mississippi

A Lamar County man involved in a Pearl River County fatal accident earlier this year is now facing criminal charges. Jason Michael Backstrom, 35, turned himself in to Pearl River County authorities Wednesday afternoon and was booked into the Pearl River County Jail for one count of manslaughter (culpable negligence) from a previous indictment. His bond was set at $20,000. Backstrom was involved in a fatal wreck on April 6, 2015, at the Springhill Road and Joe Reyer Road intersection, when authorities said he failed to stop at a stop sign and collided with a tractor trailer log truck. “He failed to stop at that stop sign and entered the intersection and the back of his vehicle was struck by a tractor trailer log truck that morning around 11:30 a.m.,” Pearl River County Chief Deputy Shane Tucker said. “After the impact, the log truck was knocked over with the driver pinned inside and emergency personnel had to extricate the victim.” According to Pearl River County Deputy Coroner Albert Lee, Willie Simmons Jr., 69, of Franklinton Louisiana was pronounced dead at the scene. Backstrom was taken to a local hospital to have blood drawn to determine whether drugs or alcohol were a factor in the wreck according to authorities. “He was later indicted for manslaughter after the evidence and case was presented to a grand jury,” Tucker said.

A Lamar County man involved in a Pearl River County fatal accident earlier this year is now facing criminal charges. Jason Michael Backstrom, 35, turned himself in to Pearl River County authorities Wednesday afternoon and was booked into the Pearl River County Jail for one count of manslaughter (culpable negligence) from a previous indictment. His bond was set at $20,000. Backstrom was involved in a fatal wreck on April 6, 2015, at the Springhill Road and Joe Reyer Road intersection, when authorities said he failed to stop at a stop sign and collided with a tractor trailer log truck. “He failed to stop at that stop sign and entered the intersection and the back of his vehicle was struck by a tractor trailer log truck that morning around 11:30 a.m.,” Pearl River County Chief Deputy Shane Tucker said. “After the impact, the log truck was knocked over with the driver pinned inside and emergency personnel had to extricate the victim.” According to Pearl River County Deputy Coroner Albert Lee, Willie Simmons Jr., 69, of Franklinton Louisiana was pronounced dead at the scene. Backstrom was taken to a local hospital to have blood drawn to determine whether drugs or alcohol were a factor in the wreck according to authorities. “He was later indicted for manslaughter after the evidence and case was presented to a grand jury,” Tucker said.