A Forrest County Sheriff’s Office investigator died early Sunday morning after suffering life-threatening injuries in a motorcycle crash in Lamar County, Mississippi, prompting an outpouring of grief from fellow officers, friends, and the community she served.
Andretta M. English, 30, of Seminary, Mississippi, was riding her 2025 Honda motorcycle north on Mississippi Highway 589 on Saturday, June 27, 2026, at approximately 2:10 p.m., when a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado traveling south collided with her, according to the Mississippi Highway Patrol.
The truck was driven by 40-year-old Nicole L. Prestenbach of Petal, who had an 8-year-old passenger in the vehicle at the time. Neither Prestenbach nor the child was injured.
English was rushed by ambulance to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. Despite efforts from trauma surgeons and medical staff, she did not survive. The crash remains under investigation by the Mississippi Highway Patrol.
A career built on service
English joined the Forrest County Sheriff’s Office on February 26, 2024, starting as a patrol deputy before being promoted earlier this year to the Investigations Division.
In a statement, the Sheriff’s Office said her passion for serving others was clear from her first day on the job, and that her dedication and work ethic quickly earned the respect of her colleagues.
Before her time in law enforcement, English spent roughly ten years with AAA Ambulance Service as an Advanced EMT, a career that friends say shaped how she approached every call.
The Sheriff’s Office credited that background with carrying through into her police work, noting that her compassion and professionalism never wavered.
Friends and coworkers say that compassion was on full display even in her final hours. According to one friend who rode motorcycles with her, English had spent part of Saturday helping at the scene of an earlier crash involving a member of a local motorcycle club, jumping in to assist as a paramedic before the injured rider was flown out by helicopter.
The two had planned to ride home together afterward, but English decided to take a shorter route home on Highway 589 rather than follow the group back to their meeting point in Petal.
Community mourns a quiet, caring presence
Tributes poured in across social media following news of her death. One woman who met English at the hospital weeks earlier, while officers gathered after a fellow deputy was shot, described her as visibly consumed with concern that day, a moment that now feels especially meaningful given what friends say about her caring nature.
Others who knew her from school remembered her as quiet and sweet, while colleagues recalled her sense of humor and the frequent texts she would send about motorcycle rides and minor bike troubles.
Local law enforcement held a procession through Hattiesburg following her death, with officers from across the region turning out to honor her.
The Forrest County Sheriff’s Office thanked the medical staff who treated her, along with AAA Ambulance Service and the many agencies that offered support to her family.
English leaves behind a husband and children, along with a wide circle of coworkers and friends who say her warmth left a lasting mark.
The Sheriff’s Office asked the community to keep her family and colleagues in their thoughts during what they called an incredibly difficult time.
