Woman sentenced for killing Canton teacher in DUI crash

A Louisville woman who pled guilty to causing a fatal DUI crash in Madison County has been sentenced to prison.

Jordan Leah Sullivan, 33, was sentenced on Monday, February 10, to 23 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) after pleading guilty to one count of aggravated DUI in Madison County Circuit Court.

The crash occurred on June 24, 2024, when officers from the Gluckstadt Police Department responded to a wreck on I-55 North. Upon arrival, authorities discovered that Sullivan had been driving the wrong way on the interstate and collided head-on with another vehicle.

The driver of the impacted vehicle, Tyra Small-Jackson, a teacher at Nichols Middle School in Canton, was transported to the hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. Her father and infant child, who were also in the vehicle, survived without injuries.

According to Madison and Rankin Counties’ District Attorney Bubba Bramlett, officers suspected Sullivan of driving under the influence at the scene. Multiple bottles of Fireball whiskey were found inside her vehicle, and officers detected the smell of alcohol. Testing later revealed her blood alcohol content to be .241.

Several witnesses reported seeing Sullivan driving the wrong way before the crash. Investigators traced her movements to a liquor store, where they obtained a receipt showing she had purchased 20 airplane-sized bottles of alcohol that morning. Additionally, text messages were uncovered in which Sullivan admitted to drinking before the accident.

Small-Jackson, a native of Canton, was recognized as Nichols Middle School’s 2023-2024 Teacher of the Year. She had received numerous accolades throughout her career in the district.