Update: Gulfport police report traffic accident killed man sitting on bench beside beach

A traffic accident on U.S. 90 claimed the life of a man who was sitting Monday on a bench overlooking the beach and Mississippi Sound on the highway’s south side, according to the Gulfport Police Department.

Coroner Brian Switzer said late Monday afternoon that he was working to identify the victim and contact next of kin.

The Gulfport Police Department initially reported that all lanes of the beach highway were closed between 15th Street and Thornton Avenue, but spokesman Jason Ducré said westbound lanes had reopened by 4 p.m., while eastbound lanes remained closed.

All traffic lanes were reopened later in the afternoon, the police department said.

This story was originally published January 29, 2024 at 2:05 PM.

Anita Lee

Sun Herald

601-909-0638

Anita, a Mississippi native, graduated with a journalism degree from the University of Southern Mississippi and previously worked at the Jackson Daily News and Virginian-Pilot, joining the Sun Herald in 1987. She specializes in in-depth coverage of government, public corruption, transparency and courts. She has won state, regional and national journalism awards, most notably contributing to Hurricane Katrina coverage awarded the 2006 Pulitzer Prize in Public Service. Support my work with a digital subscription