Zikoya Johnson Echols Obituary, Death: Tragic Accident Leaves 36-Year-Old Hattiesburg Woman Zikoya Johnson Echols Dead After Crash into Lamar County Building

A Hattiesburg lady was discovered dead in her vehicle Saturday morning after it collided with a building in Lamar County.

Lamar County Coroner Blake Matherne announced Saturday night that the body of 36-year-old Zikoya Johnson Echols was being taken to the Mississippi State Crime Lab in Biloxi for examination “to determine whether anything contributed to her death.”

Both Matherne and the Hattiesburg Police Department said the death investigation was ongoing.

According to HPD, officers arrived at 10 a.m. Saturday to a report of an accident on Park Place Avenue in which a person crashed into a structure.

When cops arrived, they found the female driver unresponsive inside her vehicle. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

No other injuries were reported.

The decision to send Echols’ body to the Mississippi State Crime Lab highlights the complexity of the investigation and the care officials are taking to determine whether any health-related issues or external factors contributed to her death. The lab, located in Biloxi, is well-equipped to conduct in-depth autopsies and toxicology screenings, allowing pathologists to uncover details that might otherwise go unnoticed.