Late Friday evening in Biloxi, Mississippi, the quiet calm of the night was shattered when a catastrophic head-on collision on southbound lanes of Highway 67 claimed the lives of two local residents. The crash occurred just north of the interchange with Highway 15, prompting a full emergency response and temporary closure of the roadway.
According to Brian Switzer, coroner for Harrison County, the first victim, 61-year-old Ronald Lechner of D’Iberville, died at the scene. Switzer said that Lechner was reportedly driving north in the southbound lane of Highway 67 when his truck collided with a vehicle driven by 36-year-old Brittany Hodges of Ocean Springs. The force of the collision caused Lechner’s truck to overturn. Switzer noted that Lechner was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.
Hodges, meanwhile, who was wearing her seatbelt, was transported to a local hospital but succumbed to her injuries there. Her death marks a heartbreaking outcome in what was already a harrowing event for everyone involved.
Traffic has since been restored on the roadway and all southbound lanes reopened, but investigators with local law-enforcement continue to piece together exactly what led to the wrong-way travel and fatal impact. Officials say the investigation remains ongoing and urge anyone with information to come forward.
In the wake of this tragedy, the local community has been left reeling. Friends, families and neighbors are mourning the sudden loss of two lives, while authorities are using this crash as a stark reminder of the importance of safe driving practices — especially wearing seatbelts and obeying directional signage to prevent wrong-way incidents.
As the investigation continues, authorities have emphasized that further details may be released once witness statements are reviewed and physical evidence examined. For now, the focus is on healing, remembrance and a renewed commitment to roadway safety across the Gulf Coast region.
