Second driver identified in deadly accident

Donathan Prater
Staff writer
Published: June 3, 2008

A second person at the scene of an accident that claimed the life of the driver of a tractor-trailer last Wednesday on U.S. Highway 280/431 in Smiths Station has come forward, according to the Alabama State Troopers.

A person, Alabama Troopers Sgt. Susanna Capps described as, an elderly man driving a white four-door sedan called authorities while on the scene of the accident, waited for them to arrive and then left.

“What this individual didn’t seem to realize is that their participation in the incident was possibly key to contributing to the accident,” said Capps.

Capps said the driver of the sedan contacted law enforcement the following morning after seeing the new reports that authorities were seeking a driver in a vehicle matching the description of his.

Because the vehicle did not make contact with the tractor-trailer, the incident is still being considered a one-vehicle accident, according to Capps.

“At this point, we’re going to simply conduct our investigation and leave it up to the local district attorney to pursue charges or not,” Capps said.