The deaths of three Lawrence County men who were found in avehicle submerged in a pond just north of the Lawrence County linein Copiah County have been ruled an accident, Copiah County CoronerEllis Stuart said Friday.

A pathologist’s findings ruled that Timothy Young, 23; JustinMiddlebrook, 22; and Isaiah Tucker, 20, who had been missing sinceearly Jan. 16, were the victims of accidental drowning after thecar they were riding in left the road on Mississippi Highway 27 andlanded upside down in the water.

Stuart said the autopsy results were not a surprise toofficials, as there did not seem to be any other trauma to thebodies.

“From looking at things at the scene, we felt like that would bethe outcome,” he said. “There were no other injuries as far as lifethreatening injuries.”

The car was found Tuesday morning by family members conductingtheir own search for the men. It was in a pond off Highway 27 inrural Copiah County, about two miles south of the Rockportcommunity. Signs of damage to the surrounding foliage and a bridgerailing tipped the searchers off that the car might have left theroad, officials said.

The three apparently were trapped in Middlebrook’s mother’s 2004Nissan Altima. It looked as though Middlebrook was driving, Stuartsaid. Law enforcement officials said the car apparently struck thebridge railing, some dead trees, and possibly a concrete culvertbefore landing upside down in the water.

Toxicology results should be issued within a week, Stuartsaid.

“It will probably be sometime near the latter part of nextweek,” he said. “I don’t know that we’ll even release those resultsto the public, because it won’t change the cause and manner ofdeath.”

Stuart said the investigation is closed for his office.

“Because the cause and manner was accidental drowning, therewon’t be any further investigation from our office,” he said.

And the three men are being laid to rest as well, with twofunerals held Saturday and one to come on Monday. Services forTucker were held Saturday at Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church inMonticello, and Middlebrook’s funeral was held Saturday at Quinn’sTemple, also in Monticello.

Services for Young are 11 a.m. Monday at Springhill MissionaryBaptist Church in Prentiss.