REDWOOD – Two Yazoo County men died Tuesday when their 18-wheelers collided on Mississippi 3 just north of International Paper Company’s mill.

They were identified as Jessie Miller Woods Jr., 79, 8690 Highway 16 East, Benton, and Charles Terry Brown, 55, 340 W. Sixth St., Yazoo City.

Warren County Coroner John Thomason said both men were alone in their trucks and both were killed instantly.

They were the second and third people to die in that area of Mississippi 3 in the past eight days. Henry David Truitt suffered a heart attack Oct. 31, and his log truck, which he had unloaded at the mill, crashed into a Yazoo Valley Electric Power Association substation. Truitt, a resident of Hermanville in Claiborne County, was 59.

Thomason said Tuesday’s crash was sudden and violent.

&#8220It happened so fast and it was such a violent crash that both cabs were just torn away,” he said. &#8220It was virtually hard to determine what went to what.”

Woods, the driver of an unloaded log truck, was headed north on Mississippi 3 at 2:45 p.m. when he veered into the southbound lane near Simrall Road and hit the 18-wheeler driven by Brown, Thomason said.

&#8220They went onto the west side of the highway and both men were killed instantly,” he said.

Trooper Jake Coffie of the Mississippi Highway Patrol said his investigation showed Woods was trying to pass another vehicle when the accident happened.

Woods’ body was found near the rear of the 18-wheeler, Thomason said. Brown’s body had to be cut out of the cab of the log truck by firefighters. Both bodies were sent to Mississippi Mortuary Service in Rankin County for autopsies.

&#8220I don’t know if Mr. Woods suffered a heart attack or if he was indeed passing somebody,” Thomason said. &#8220These are job-related deaths so we are sending them to autopsy under Mississippi law.”

Woods and Brown were the 13th and 14th people to die in vehicle accidents in Warren County this year.

Funeral arrangements for Woods and Brown had not been announced.