Ashville, AL – In a incident that unfolded on Tuesday, Feb. 20, at around 9:15 a.m., a multi-vehicle crash near the 169-mile marker on Interstate 59 has resulted in the untimely death of 36-year-old Anniston resident, Ryan C. Harrison.
The fatal collision occurred when Harrison’s 2014 Kia Optima collided head-on with a 2022 Toyota Corolla, driven by 29-year-old Derramus C. Bothwell of Steele. The impact did not stop there, as a 2020 Freightliner tractor-trailer, operated by 39-year-old Ronald Edouard from Davenport, Fla., subsequently struck the Kia. The force of the collision caused the Kia to overturn, while the Freightliner veered off the road and collided with a tree.
Harrison, who was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, was pronounced deceased at the scene. The aftermath of the collision also involved further chaos, as debris scattered across the roadway became a hazardous obstacle for other motorists.
A 2018 Volvo tractor-trailer driven by 42-year-old Tajuanna S. Lewis from Calera became entangled in the aftermath, colliding with the debris on the road. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries for Lewis in this secondary collision.
Bothwell, the driver of the Toyota Corolla, sustained injuries in the initial crash and was swiftly transported by helicopter to the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Hospital for urgent medical attention. Similarly, Edouard, the Freightliner driver, was injured and also transported to UAB Hospital for treatment.
The incident took place approximately four miles north of Ashville, in St. Clair County. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s (ALEA) Highway Patrol Division is actively investigating the crash, but no further details have been released at this time.
