Speeding led to the death of a Jayess man Sunday night onHighway 27 south, a Mississippi Highway Patrol official said.

Dustin Chad Price, 30, was killed around 8 p.m. approximately8.5 miles south of Monticello when his 1999 Chevrolet Camaro leftthe road and struck a ditch, ejecting Price from the vehicle, saidStaff Sgt. Rod Crawford, public affairs officer for Troop M.

Price was the only occupant of the vehicle.

He was transferred to Lawrence County Hospital and later to theUniversity of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Crawfordsaid.

“There he died of head and internal injuries at 12:31 a.m.(Monday),” Crawford said.

Wilson Funeral Home of Monticello is handling arrangements.

Price was one of two people killed in area wrecks over the longThanksgiving holiday weekend. Fred B. Morris, 73, of 0401Stoneybrook Trail, Bogue Chitto, died around 9:30 a.m. Friday whenhe failed to yield the right of way at the intersection of Highway51 and Springfield Trail.

Morris was struck by a log truck driven by Monica Kim Bales, 31,of Bogue Chitto. Bales was taken to King’s Daughters Medical Centerand treated for non life-threatening injuries, Crawford said.

The two area fatalities accounted for half those reported onstate highways over the weekend, Crawford said. The state reportedfour fatalities in four separate crashes.

Throughout the state, there were 200 wreck investigations withsix involving alcohol. Troop M investigated 18 wrecks with twoinvolving alcohol in District 9, which includes Lincoln, Lawrence,Franklin and Copiah counties, among others.

There were seven others injured in crashes that did not resultin a fatality in the local district, Crawford said.

The Mississippi Highway Patrol issued 7,962 citations from 6p.m. Friday through midnight Sunday with Troop M issuing 883 ofthose citations, he said.

Local citations issued included 600 for hazardous violations,256 non-hazardous violations, 14 for driving under the influence,two drug arrests and an assortment of public drunk, seat belt andchild restraint law violations, Crawford said.

District 9 recorded the third-highest total in the state for DUIviolations with 14, he said.