Sgt. Shelton R. Jenkins, a 23-year-old correctional officer from Covington, Louisiana, was killed Thursday night, November 5, in a crash involving an unoccupied Lamar County Sheriff’s Office vehicle on U.S. Highway 98 in Lamar County, Mississippi. The young sergeant suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Mississippi Highway Patrol responded to the crash at approximately 9 p.m. According to investigators, Jenkins was driving a 2019 Nissan Altima eastbound on Highway 98 when his car collided with a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe belonging to the Lamar County Sheriff’s Office.
The collision happened near Grantham Road, where Lamar County deputies were already assisting the Mississippi Highway Patrol with another fatal crash. The sheriff’s office vehicle was unoccupied when Jenkins’ Nissan struck it.
The circumstances surrounding the collision have not been fully explained. Authorities have not released further information about what caused the crash or whether any other vehicles were involved.
Jenkins served as a sergeant at the Marion County Regional Correctional Facility. News of his death was announced by the facility on Friday, November 6, leaving his colleagues and fellow employees mourning the loss of one of their own.
In its announcement, the facility listed November 5 as Jenkins’ end-of-watch date. It described his passing as a tremendous loss to the correctional facility family and extended its condolences to his relatives, friends and coworkers.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Sergeant Jenkins’ family, friends, colleagues, and all those whose lives he touched,” the facility said in its public statement.
The facility also asked members of the community to remember Jenkins’ loved ones and colleagues during this difficult time. His death has left those who worked alongside him facing the loss of a fellow correctional officer.
The crash also happened at a location where deputies were responding to another deadly incident. That separate collision claimed the life of 18-year-old Brydon J. Walley, a West Marion High School student.
The Mississippi Highway Patrol is investigating the crash that killed Jenkins. No additional details about the investigation had been released in the available reports.