Contact Tish Butts at tbutts@vicksburgpost.com

A Vicksburg mother of two died this morning in a collision with a pickup on U.S. 80 just west of Newman Road.

At about 6:53 a.m., Jennifer Annette Luna, 23, 4718 U.S. 80, was eastbound on two-lane Highway 80 when the 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix she was driving struck a 1991 Dodge Ram driven west by Fred Clark, 67, 3772 U.S. 80, Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace said.

“They hit head-on,” Pace said.

Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol Sgt. James Walker said Luna’s vehicle crossed the center line before impact.

“Her cousin said the two had been out all night,” and investigating officers believe she might have fallen asleep, Walker said.

Christopher Luna was called to the wreck almost immediately. He said his wife was heading to her mother’s home to return the borrowed vehicle.

Through tears, he said the family moved to Vicksburg when his wife was pregnant with their 1-year-old daughter, Cadence, to be closer to her mother. The couple also has a 2-year-old daughter, Layla Luna.

Luna said he and his wife, a waitress for Sonic Drive-in of Pearl, had been separated but a few weeks ago had begun to rekindle their relationship.

“She’s my sweetheart. I met her when I first got out of the military” about four years ago, he said.

At the scene, Warren County Coroner Doug Huskey said he pronounced Luna dead at 7:37 a.m. and his initial examination indicated she died from abdominal injuries. Pace said she died immediately.

While both vehicles had heavy front-end damage, Clark, a concrete contractor, walked away and was not reported to be injured, Pace said.

The accident followed by two days one on Interstate 20 at Bolton that killed two sisters, a 20-year-old Hinds Community College student from Edwards and a 26-year-old mother of two from Jackson.

This morning, Vicksburg and Culkin volunteer fire departments responded to the wreck along with the sheriff’s department and the highway patrol.

Fisher Funeral Home is handling arrangements.