Auburn Police: Rain may have been a factor in fatal wreck

Katie Stallcup
Staff writer
Published: February 1, 2008

Heavy rains might have played a part in a fatal wreck Thursday afternoon, investigators said.

One man was killed and two others were injured after two cars collided on Shug Jordan Parkway in Auburn at roughly 4 p.m.

According to witness reports, one vehicle apparently lost control on the wet road and slid onto the other side of the road into oncoming traffic, Auburn police Sgt. Mike Vickers said Thursday evening. The accident occurred on Shug Jordan between North College Street and Shelton Mill Road.

Both cars slid off the road and down an embankment, according to a statement from Lee County Coroner Bill Harris.

The driver of one vehicle, Carlos Artez Menifee, 22, of Auburn, was killed. He was apparently not wearing a seat belt, according to Harris’ statement.

Menifee’s passenger, Dzondria Jones, was treated at East Alabama Medical Center for non-life threatening injuries.

The driver of the other car was airlifted from the scene to The Medical Center in Columbus, Ga., with serious injuries, according to the coroner’s statement. Alcohol is not suspected as a factor.

“I understand there was heavy rain when the accident occurred, so we were looking at that being a factor,” Vickers said.

The accident is still under investigation.

With weather conditions like Thursday’s, Vickers said drivers should be especially cautious. Careful driving can reduce the likelihood of wet-weather accidents, he said.

“During inclement weather, such as rain or icy conditions, slow down,” he said. “Just pay attention to your driving and really slow down.”

Thursday’s traffic fatality was the third in Lee County this year and the second in two days.

Driver of Tuesday’s I-85 fatal accident identified
The victim of the Tuesday morning tractor-trailer wreck on Interstate 85 in Opelika has been identified as Edgar K. Matthews, 57, of Charlotte, N.C., according to a statement released Thursday by the Lee County Coroner’s Office.

It is believed that Matthews may have fallen asleep at the wheel and veered off the southbound lane of I-85 between the 63 and 64 mile markers, according to the coroner’s release. After leaving the roadway, the truck struck a tree and burst into flames.

Opelika Fire Department officials found Matthews’ body after extinguishing the blaze.

Preliminary autopsy results indicate that Matthews died from massive blunt force trauma. He died instantly.

Matthews was a driver for G&P Trucking, headquartered in Columbia, S.C. Dental records were used to identify him.

The accident remains under investigation by the Opelika Police Department, the Lee County Coroner’s Office and the Alabama Dept. of Forensic Sciences.