A Byram man died Wednesday night after his vehicle left Interstate 20 near Mound while he was talking by cell phone with his wife.

John Rush Abbott, 63, 4738 Brookwood Place, was pronounced dead at 11:15 p.m. at River Region Medical Center, Warren County Coroner Doug Huskey said.

Abbott had sustained head and chest injuries, but Mark Dennis, a public information officer with Louisiana State Police Troop F, said indications were Abbott was overcome by a health crisis of some sort while driving.

“It was not the crash that killed him,” Dennis said. “There was no obvious injury that was the cause of death.”

Louisiana State Police Sgt. Chuck Harris said Abbott was driving home from Dallas at about 10 p.m. when his 2007 Ford Expedition went off the road and struck a small tree. It was Abbott’s wife who called 911.

Sgt. Harris said an autopsy was scheduled for today and that Abbott was wearing his seat belt at the time of the accident.

His wife of 30 years, Angie Abbott, said this morning that in addition to his five children, her husband is survived by eight grandchildren.

She said her husband was a native of West Point, Miss., and was a retired area manager for Sara Lee, but still made business trips to Dallas, like the one from which he was returning home Wednesday. He was also active as a leader in the Boy Scouts of America, she said.