re: Snake ID. King snake of some kind? Family member took pic while out jogging.

So if I observe a king snake near the boundary of the speckled and black home ranges, would it be safe to identify it based solely on what side of the river I am on (assuming I am not much South of Baton Rouge)? Because I have seen snakes my entire life that I called a speckled, but I live East of the Mississippi River. I guess I have been wrong all these years. TIL