4-year-old dies when car flips in creek, MS rescuers say. ‘Sparkle in his eye'

Miami Herald

30-04-2025

Micah Napper's loved ones say he radiated 'energy, joy and love.'
'From the age of one, he had a bat in hand and a sparkle in his eye, playing T-Ball in the backyard and eagerly joining a team as soon as he could,' they gushed about the 4-year-old in his obituary.
Now, family members are grieving the youngster, who was killed when a car he was riding in overturned in a Mississippi creek, trapping him, according to a Facebook post from the North Forrest Volunteer Fire Department.
Two others, a 16-year-old and and 10-year-old, were seriously hurt in the April 28 wreck near Hattiesburg, a spokesperson for the Forrest County Sheriff's Office told McClatchy News. Family members said the three victims are brothers.
Crews were called to the single-vehicle crash at about 5:30 p.m. and learned one of the victims was possibly trapped, the fire department said in the news release.
They found a silver car that had veered off the road, crashed into a creek and flipped upside down.
'Two victims were already out of the vehicle, while a third victim remained trapped inside,' firefighters said.
Firefighters rushed to remove the entrapped person, who was pronounced dead at the scene, according to authorities. He was later identified as Micah, WLBT reported, citing the Forrest County Coroner's Office.
'Always on the move, Micah especially loved wrestling with his dad and older brothers — his laughter and enthusiasm leaving lasting impressions on all who knew him,' his family wrote in the obituary.
The 16-year-old driver was taken to a hospital while the 10-year-old passenger was flown to a hospital in Jackson for treatment, the sheriff's office said.
'Both boys have made it through surgery,' their uncle, Mike Napper, said in an update shared on his Facebook page. 'Please keep praying for them. This journey is far from over.'
A funeral for Micah will be held Saturday, May 3, according to his obituary.
Authorities said the cause of the crash is under investigation.
Forrest County is about a 100-mile drive southeast from downtown Jackson.