A 19-year-old Oxford man died Sunday after a vehicle he was driving landed upside down in a pond for unknown reasons.

According to the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office, at about 11:39 a.m. on Sunday, a vehicle was found upside down in a pond on private property on County Road 103.

The Lafayette County Fire Department and Shivers Towing Service towed the vehicle from the pond. The driver, Gray Cassidy, was pronounced dead at the scene by the Lafayette County coroner. The first responders determined that the vehicle most likely entered the pond sometime overnight.

The cause of the accident is currently under investigation by the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office.

“This is a heartbreaking situation for our community,” said Sheriff Joey East. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Gray Cassidy during this difficult time.”

Cassidy was the son of Farra LaNese Sheridan and James Pittman Cassidy Jr., both of Oxford.

He graduated from Oxford High School and went on to major in agricultural science at the Mississippi State University.

He returned to Oxford in 2023 to begin his career in construction and work with and alongside his father at Jim Cassidy Construction, LLC before starting his own business, Young Buck’s Handyman Services, LLC.

An avid huntsman, he was an active member of the National Wild Turkey Federation.

Visitation will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. in West Hall of Waller Funeral Home and again for an hour before the funeral service which will be held at 1 p.m. on Thursday in the chapel. The Rev. Fish Robinson and the Rev. Jody Schmelzer are officiating.

Read Cassidy’s full obituary on the Waller Funeral Home website.