Two Old Miss Students Dead after Oxford Car Crash

Two Ole Miss students are dead after a head-on crash in Oxford, Mississippi.

The Lafayette County car crash occurred on Saturday, October 27, 2012, at about 11 a.m. on Highway 6 near the Highway 7 ramp. Twenty-four-year-old Sarah Wheat and her brother, 30-year-old John Wheat, were headed back to the Ole Miss campus after a charity 5K run/walk in Tupelo, Mississippi. A car headed in the opposite direction crossed the center line and crashed head-on into their vehicle. Sarah died immediately from injuries sustained in the accident.

John was airlifted to The Med in Memphis. He was pronounced dead shortly after 3:15 p.m.

The Wheat siblings lived in Crofton, MD. Sarah was a founding member of and a goalie on the Ole Miss women’s club lacrosse team.  In 2011, she was named the Southeastern Women’s Lacrosse League Goalie of the Year. She had graduated cum laude from Ole Miss with a degree in Communicative Disorders and was working on a masters.

John Wheat had helped coach the Ole Miss club lacrosse team and coached a local youth team.

The driver who crashed into the Wheats has been identified as 21-year-old John Howard Strickland of San Antonio, Texas. Strickland sustained minor injuries. He was taken to a local hospital by ambulance. He underwent toxicology testing. Charges will depend on the results.

The Mississippi accident attorneys at Bailey & Greer would like to offer our condolences to the Wheat family. We are truly sorry for your loss.

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