Jackson Jambalaya

An Ole Miss student only had to pay a small fine after he struck three fellow students with his truck while high on nitrous oxide in Oxford Square, injuries be damned. 

Three Ole Miss students were walking through the square, enjoying a night on the town.  Unfortunately, Samuel Welborn was enjoying a night out as well but his idea of fun involved snorting nitrous oxide while driving his Toyota Tacoma truck.  Welborn is from Brandon.  

 Welborn approached the intersection of University and North Lamar, heading South.  The police report states Welborn "slow rolls through the green light from the center driving lane and crosses into the right turn lane."  As he drove through the intersection, Welborn struck the three students and did not stop until he crashed into a pole.  Welborn is a 20 year-old Ole Miss student from Brandon.  

Police found the victims in the parking lot of the Four Corners Chevron. Witnesses said one victim was thrown 20 feet, another one was thrown 10 feet, and one ended up under the truck.  Video shows Welborn did not hit his brakes.  The truck stopped only after it crashed into two utility boxes.  

MES took the two young women to Baptist Memorial Hospital.  One female victim said she was very sore and her tailbone was hurting.  She went to the doctor for further examination.  The victim's mother said she had a fractured nose and stitches above her left eye.  

The other female victim told the police she was released and nothing was broken.  However, her mother said she started having more symptoms and was going to see a specialist to get x-rays.  

Police spoke to her on September 11.  The victim's mother said her daughter "sustained a broken foot and broken jaw."  However, the police told her the charges "would not be upgraded."   

The male victim had "scratches and scrapes" but the x-rays were negative.   

Witnesses told police Welborn had a "whippet" can in his truck.  The can fell out when he exited his truck. Video captured him putting it back in the vehicle.  Police searched his truck and found Vyvanse, a large can of food grade nitrous oxide, and two empty cans of nitrous oxide. One office observed Welborn "to have a glassy stare looking into the distance."  

Welborn gave a Mississippi driver's license to police officers at the scene.  However, the license was fake.  Police found his real license in his wallet. 

Oxford police charged Welborn with first-offense DUI and possession of a fake ID.  Videos captured the incident, including Welborn hiding his whippet can in the truck.  

Unfortunately, Welborn got another DUI a week later.  Welborn struck three vehicles at an apartment complex.   The police report states: 

 On the above date and time, I, Officer Hatcher, responded to the Archive for a report of a private property vehicle collision. Upon arrival, I saw three vehicles parked next to each other that looked like they had been hit from the side and pushed into each other. Other officers were already out with the driver of the vehicle that allegedly hit the parked vehicles.

 Welborn's vehicle, a Buick Encore, had damage to the front left and front bumper.  The front left wheel was damaged and the tire was flat. The Buick was parked 110 yards away from the three damaged vehicles. 

Police arrested Welborn again and charged him with first-offense DUI and leaving the scene of an accident.  

Unknown to the police and families, Welborn pleaded guilty to first-offense DUI on September 24.  The prosecutor dropped the false identification charge. Oxford Municipal Court Marc Boutwell sentenced him to serve 48 hours in jail but suspended the sentence and fined him $1,000.   

Oxford City Prosecutor Jay Chain prosecuted the case. Attorney Mickey Mallette.  Mallete was a Lafayette County Assistant District Attorney until 2024.   

The police report states the officer got a little surprise on October 3: 

 I spoke with Municipal Court and advised that I will be presenting the case to Grand Jury. They advised that the date of judgement is 09/24/2025. He plead guilty and received 48 hours suspended jail time, a $1,432 fine, ordered to complete MASEP, and a court approved Alcohol Awareness course.

You read that correctly.  The police had no idea the case was swiftly adjudicated while the investigation was still active . The officer stated on October 7 he spoke to Lafayette County Assistant District Attorney Honey Ussery about the case but she said the injuries did not meet the requirements for aggravated assault. 

The family of one victim wanted to pursue simple assault charges against Welborn but Oxford City Prosecutor Jay Chain said such charges were not "feasible."  

Ms. Williams had several complaints about Oxford's handling of the case.  She said the police report was "riddled with errors. It had the wrong birth years, missing injuries, and incomplete information."  

Victim Services never notified  Ms. Williams, her daughter, nor the other victims of Welborn's hearing.  Ms. Williams said she repeatedly called Ussery and left detailed messages.  However, she said Ussery never returned her call. She called and left three messages for Chain but he never called her back.  "No one has shown the courtesy of calling back a parent whose child was nearly killed," said the mother as she criticized the prosecutors.  

Ms. Williams said she wanted Oxford to reopen the case for review and consider filing additional charges such as aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, and drug-related offenses.  She urged Oxford to restrict whippet sales as well.   

"The system failed them - from investigation to courtroom.  We're grateful they're alive, but surviving shouldn't mean silence. Oxford can and must do better," concluded Ms. Williams.   

 Kingfish Note: Sounds like another case of Oxford justice . Check out this 2024 post about the bleaching of an indictment.  Yet another example of police doing their job while prosecutors and judges don't do their job .