ADAMS COUNTY, Miss. (WJTV) – An Adams County man was sentenced to 25 years in prison for an aggravated DUI crash that happened in Vidalia, Louisiana, in 2018.

James Dakota Mooney (Courtesy: Adams County Sheriff’s Office)

The crash happened in the early morning hours of February 18, 2018. James Dakota Mooney ran a red light in Vidalia and kept driving after an officer turned on his lights to stop him. He began driving recklessly by passing cars on the shoulder of the road and almost causing a driver to hit a concrete barrier before reaching the Mississippi River bridge.

The Vidalia police officer stopped the pursuit on the bridge only to find a crash scene when he topped it. Mooney had crashed into the rear driver’s side of the Magnolia Bluff shuttle. A man was killed, and a woman suffered disabilities.

A reconstruction of the crash estimated Mooney’s speed to be over 80 miles per hour. His blood alcohol level was .09.

He was sentenced to 25 years in custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) with 15 years to serve and the remaining balance suspended. He received credit for the time he spent in the Louisiana Department of Corrections.