Truck driver found dead near Wesson I-55 rest area

Special to Wesson News

A 78-year-old truck driver was found dead outside his tractor-trailer near the Interstate 55 rest area in Wesson on Thursday, authorities said.

The man was discovered just south of the northbound rest area, located near mile marker 54 in Copiah County.

Copiah County Emergency Operations Center Director Darryl Hilliard said the driver was found lying on the ground near the passenger side of the 18-wheeler.

A passerby spotted the man and alerted authorities. Investigators believe he had been dead for several hours before he was discovered.

The man was driving an 18-wheeler for JC Transport at the time of his death. Authorities have not publicly identified him and are withholding his name until his family can be fully notified.

Hilliard said a preliminary investigation indicates the driver died of natural causes.

No additional details about the circumstances surrounding the man's death or his hometown had been released as of Thursday afternoon.

The Wesson rest area is located along Interstate 55, the major north-south interstate corridor running through Copiah County and connecting communities including Wesson, Hazlehurst and Crystal Springs.

Additional information could be released after the driver's family has been notified.