Mississippi Constable Dies Following Crash

TUPELO, Mississippi -- A longtime Lowndes County District 1 constable died last week; three days after he was involved in a wreck while on duty.

Constable Willie Houston "Hoot" West was serving papers in the area on May 6 when his vehicle left the roadway in a turn on Harrison Road and crashed into a tree around 8 a.m., according to The Commercial Dispatch.

The 81-year-old, who and served in law enforcement for more than 50 years, died Thursday at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo.

"Somebody said it was like Mayberry losing Andy Taylor," West's son Mike told the newspaper. "I can see why they would think of Dad kind of like that."

West began his career in law enforcement in 1962 as a deputy in the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office and was elected as District 1 constable in November 1967 and was re-elected 12 times.

The son of the five-decade veteran of law enforcement said that his dad had been shot and stabbed and exposed to other dangers, but never seemed to lose his good humor.

West was laid to rest on Sunday.