Biloxi man faces DUI death charge after 3-vehicle crash on I-10
The driver accused of causing a three-vehicle crash Sunday evening on Interstate 10 now faces a charge of driving under the influence resulting in the death of a 22-year-old man.
The Mississippi Highway Patrol arrested Biloxi resident Michael Joseph Kennedy, 27, of Biloxi after he was taken to a hospital for treatment. The collisions in Pass Christian occurred about 8:50 p.m. near the Menge Avenue exit.
Robert C. Ivey of Gulfport died at the scene of the crash in eastbound lanes of I-10, according to Harrison County Coroner Gary Hargrove. Kennedy was booked at the Harrison County jail at 1:52 a.m. Monday, the jail docket shows.
He was being held on a $250,000 bond.
State troopers also arrested Kennedy on a misdemeanor charge of careless driving. His bond on the misdemeanor is $500.
Ivey, known for helping others and trying to make others happy, had run out of gas and was pouring fuel into the Chevrolet Silverado truck with a trailer he had borrowed from a friend.
The penalty for DUI causing death is five to 25 years in prison.
Felon has prior DUI arrest
Kennedy has a grand larceny conviction from Jackson County. He was held on a probation warrant after his arrest Nov. 1, 2013, on a charge of shoplifting and two counts of trespassing. He was fined on the misdemeanors.
Two months earlier, he was arrested in Harrison County on a contempt charge involving restitution ordered on an unspecified conviction in 2012.
Kennedy also had been arrested on a residential burglary charge in Harrison County in 2013, but a grand jury found insufficient evidence to indict him, the jail docket shows.
Most recently, Kennedy was arrested July 17, 2015, on a charge of operating a vehicle under the influence/refusal of tests. It wasn’t immediately clear Monday if Kennedy was convicted on that charge.
SunHerald.com is working on an updated report.
Robin Fitzgerald: 228-896-2307, @robincrimenews
This story was originally published March 20, 2017 at 11:19 AM with the headline "Biloxi man faces DUI death charge after 3-vehicle crash on I-10."