Causeyville man dies in Monday afternoon accident

By By William F. West / community editor
July 23, 2002
A 71-year-old man from south Lauderdale County died in an automobile accident on Causeyville Road late Monday afternoon. James Williamson was pronounced dead at the scene.
The accident occurred about a half-mile south of Zero Road, said Sgt. Frankie Springer of the sheriff's office.
Williamson, of 6531 B.W. Johnson Road, was alone as he drove his 1985 blue Ford Tempo south in poor weather conditions, Springer said.
Springer said Williamson's car collided with a yellow 2002 Mitsubishi driven by 25-year-old Richard Alan Rouleau of Collinsville. Rouleau was in good condition this morning at Rush Foundation Hospital in Meridian.
Rouleau's passenger, a 16-year-old girl who is a relative of his, was treated and released from the hospital. Springer declined to give the name of the girl.
Springer said alcohol and illegal drugs are not suspected causes of what happened, citing a test administered to Rouleau.
Springer is investigating the cause of the accident, which was reported at 5:46 p.m.
Springer said the first officer at the scene found a near front-end collision between the Ford and the Mitsubishi. Both vehicles were "very heavily damaged," he said.
Not long after the traffic accident, another vehicle, a brown 1995 Hyundai Elantra being driven south by Patsy Gibson, 54, of 3275 J.W. Reynolds Road, Meridian, hit the Mitsubishi, Springer said.
The Meridian Fire Department and Lauderdale County volunteer firefighters from Long Creek responded to the scene.
Staff writer Lynette Wilson contributed to this report.