Jan 06, 2025
MARSHALL COUNTY, Miss. -- Tonight WREG is pushing for answers after a police chase turned deadly in northern Mississippi over the weekend. We now know a Byhalia Police officer was chasing an SUV that collided with a truck in Marshall County. Marshall County Sheriff investigators who are handling the case said police were pursuing a 30-year-old man named Jaqua Blueitt who ended up passing away. A 63-year-old man named Michael Crutcher was also killed in the crash. Two other individuals are in critical condition. Neighbors around St. Paul Road and Dockery Drive where the crash happened around 8 p.m. on Saturday said the collision sounded like a cannon going off, shaking homes.  ORIGINAL STORY: Marshall Co. Sheriff: Police chase led to fatal crash "We just heard a big boom, we looked out the door, we see the police coming down the street and we looked over here and we see the car was on fire," witness Taderio Woods said. Woods said he tried to do what he could to help. "So instantly I went to grab my water hose to try and put the fire out but the police told us to stay back because it was an investigation or something going on," Woods said. "The officer kept saying there's nothing he can do, he couldn't do anything because he was by himself." Throughout the investigation, Woods said people came to the scene, looking for answers about those involved.  "The young guy came up and said that was his uncle and his uncle was the only person that he had in this world," Woods said. Woods later realized he knew one of the victims who died, Michael Crutcher. Oxford man killed in crash on MS highway "When I heard it was him in that truck, that did something to me because Mike ain't never did nothing," Woods said. "All he ever did was try to help everybody." Investigators say Crutcher was a passenger in the truck that was hit by an SUV. That SUV pursued by a Byhalia Police officer was driven by 30-year-old Jaqua Blueitt.  But why Blueitt was being chased in the first place is something Woods wants to know.  "All we know is that two people died on our street," Woods said. "Police officers need to stop chasing folks. Even though this is a small county and everything and there's not too much going on, if you just get their tag number, it's 9 times out of 10 you're going to see them again." WREG has asked why the pursuit and for the Byhalia Police Department's chase policy. We are waiting to hear back.
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