Jackson Jambalaya

Madison-Rankin District Attorney Michael Guest issued the following press release:

Madison and Rankin County District Attorney Michael Guest announced today that Edward Sullivan was sentenced to serve 50 years, after pleading guilty to one count of DUI Death and two counts of DUI Mayhew. The last fifteen years of his sentence was suspended and he will be placed on five years of supervised probation following his release from custody.

On September 1, 2013, the Mississippi Highway Patrol and the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department responded to an accident on Highway 49. Officers observed that an 18 wheel tractor trailer had collided with a pickup truck that was driven by Sullivan. The truck driven by Sullivan carried five children.

Emergency personnel quickly determined that two of the children, age 10 and 7, were in critical condition and that a third child, age 11, was in serious condition. The children were transported by ambulance to the University of Mississippi Medical Center. At UMC the doctor and nurses were unable to save the life of the 10 year old child who died as a result of the injuries he sustained in the crash.

Investigators learned that the truck driven by Sullivan failed to stop as it pulled onto Highway 49 in front of the tracker trailer. At the scene law enforcement officers and paramedics smelled alcohol coming from Sullivan’s person and his vehicle. Sullivan was transported to the hospital and blood was collected and submitted to the Mississippi State Crime Laboratory. Based upon the results of the crime lab test and by using a formula known as Retrograde Extrapolation it was determined that Sullivan’s blood alcohol content at the time of the accident was between 0.18-0.23 percent.


Guest stated, “Sullivan was operating his vehicle at a time that his blood alcohol content was two to three times over the legal limit. Sullivan’s decision to drink and drive resulted in the death of a 10 year old child. This case highlights the importance in keeping those that would consume alcohol from getting behind the wheel of a car.”

Guest concluded, “Sullivan was a convicted sex offender who previously served seven years in prison and who was on probation at the time of the accident. Sullivan’s actions show that he has no regards for anyone other than himself. Sullivan is a dangerous individual who has been convicted of sexually assaulting and now taking the life of an innocent child. These convictions and sentences should result in Sullivan being warehoused in the penitentiary for the remainder of his life.”

Sullivan was previously convicted of Gratification of Lust and was sentenced to serve 15 years with the last eight years suspended. Sullivan was released from the Mississippi Department of Corrections on probation on July 30, 2013. Sullivan had been out of prison for only two months at the time of the accident.

District Attorney Michael Guest was sworn into office in January 2008 and represents the Twentieth Judicial District, which encompasses Madison and Rankin Counties. For more information about the District Attorney’s office, please visit www.daguest.com.


Defendant:

Name: Edward A. Sullivan
Date of Birth: October 23, 1959
Address: 1245 John Warn Road, Bolton