Second Gautier High School grad dies after Stone County car crash

Hannah Ruhoff
·2 min read

A second Gautier High School graduate has died after a fatal Stone County car accident, according to the Pascagoula-Gautier School District.

On Wednesday, Kyla Watkins, 18, succumbed from her injuries she sustained in an early morning collision in Stone County that happened around 2 a.m. on Tuesday. Se’Dhari Saniya Watson-Person, 19, died at the scene of the crash.

Stone County Coroner Wayne Flurry told the Sun Herald on Tuesday that Sedhari Saniya Watson-Person, 19, was riding in the backseat of a Kia Optima driven by Kyla Watkins, 18, when their vehicle collided with a Dodge Charger driven by Beaumont, Mississippi, resident Valerie Smith on Highway 59 near Herschel Road.

“Three Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College students were traveling in a vehicle that was struck by another vehicle,” Flurry said. “All of them were traveling north.”

A third teenager, Tatyanna Richmond, remains hospitalized in an unknown condition.

All three girls attended Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Perkinston Campus, at the time of the accident and graduated from Gautier High School where they were part of the GHS cheerleading squad and active in school activities.

A candelight vigil is planned for the girls at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 7. at the Gautier High School Stadium. The school asks that those attending the vigil wear the navy blue and gold school colors of the Gautier Gators.

“Our community is deeply saddened by the tragic accident involving three graduates of Gautier High School,” said City of Gautier Mayor Casey Vaughan in a press release. “Let’s come together in support, honoring them and their families with love, compassion, and unity. Our thoughts and prayers are with the affected families and friends. The City of Gautier and the Pascagoula-Gautier School District stand united in support of the affected families and friends. Our hearts ache for the pain and uncertainty they are enduring. Together, we extend our deepest sympathies and remain committed to offering any assistance and comfort needed during this challenging time.”