A tragic accident occurred on a Mississippi highway when a prison transport van lost control and tragically caught fire, resulting in the deaths of both a prison officer and an inmate. This calamity unfolded on Interstate 10, amid the bustle of morning traffic.
Officer Michael Valera, aged 32, was transporting inmate William Rodman, 34, when their vehicle collided with a utility truck. The unfortunate incident took place around 9:30 a.m., a time when the highway was heavily trafficked.
Disturbing dash cam footage reveals the chaotic moment when the prison van skidded across several lanes. It sideswiped another car, forcing it off the road before the van crashed into a metal pole, flipped over, and erupted in flames, sending thick plumes of smoke into the sky.
Charlie King, a witness who captured the dramatic scene on video, recounted to Fox10 that the vehicle seemed to “disintegrate” upon impact. The wreck has left many in shock, highlighting the inherent dangers faced by those who work in law enforcement and the unpredictable nature of highway travel.
The van then collided with a metal pole, overturned and burst into flames, sending thick black smoke billowing in the air.
Witness Charlie King, who captured the video, told Fox10 ‘the vehicle disintegrated’ on impact.
King pulled over to help, but didn’t realize how bad things were until he got out of his car.
‘I had to come back and get my fire extinguisher,’ he said. ‘The fire started out small, but by the time I got back, it was too far gone to put out with a fire extinguisher.’
The Ford van was travelling from Florida and carrying two inmates and two officers.
Two people were killed and three were injured after a horrifying crash involving a prison van on Interstate 10 in Mississippi
The white van slid across multiple lanes of traffic before slamming into a utility truck on Wednesday morning
First responders had to cut open the van to free the shackled inmates from the rear
Valera, who was driving at the time, was a father and husband from central Florida, reported the Biloxi Sun Herald.
Officials said Rodman had just been released from a jail in Lake City, Florida, and was being transferred to Spaulding County, Georgia. He was facing fraud charges.
The second officer and inmate were airlifted to the hospital in critical condition.
WXXV identified them as 27-year-old inmate Javier Arroyo and 29-year-old Officer Raymond Boetermann.
First responders were forced to cut open the side of the van to free the remaining prisoner shackled in the back of the truck.
The utility truck driver, identified as 54-year-old Jerry Jenkins, was transported in an ambulance with serious injuries.
Officials said the van was on its way to Mississippi to pick up a prisoner from Harrison County Jail.
A second inmate and officer were airlifted to the hospital in critical condition
The crash, which happened after 9am on Wednesday, caused significant delays on the interstate
Charlie King captured the footage on his dashcam. He witnessed the tragedy and tried to help
The vehicle was operated by a private company called St. Joseph Services, which provides inmate transportation to law enforcement.
Highway Patrol spokesperson Landon Orozco told WWL that the impact of the crash caused the fire to erupt, sending thick black smoke into the air.
King said he noticed excessive exhaust coming from the van and theorized that it may have had something to do with the tragedy.
The crash is under investigation by the Mississippi Highway Patrol.
Several interstate exits were blocked for hours after the crash, causing heavy delays during rush hour.
The Mississippi Department of Public Safety told drivers to ‘expect extended travel delays’ and encouraged them to use alternative routes.
The Daily Mail contacted the Mississippi Highway Patrol, St. Joseph Services and the Florida Department of Corrections for comment.
