A Decatur man has been formally charged with three counts of reckless murder and one count of felony assault in a traffic accident that killed a Limestone County mother, her daughter and one grand-child and seriously injured another grandchild.

Patrick Alan Turlington, 21, of 306 Harold Drive, was arrested Thursday on warrants following his indictment by a Limestone County grand jury. He was released after posting an $85,000 bail on three counts of reckless murder and one count of first-degree assault, records show. Turlington is accused of causing a wreck on Alabama 20/Alternate U.S. 72 just east of the Hudson Memorial Bridge causeway in Decatur.
According to investigators, Turlington was westbound on 20, heading into Decatur, in his red Chevrolet Cavalier, when he crossed the grass median and struck the driver’s side mirror of an eastbound GMC truck driven by Christopher Scott King, 43, of Hazel Green. King was able to swerve and avoid injury. However, Turlington’s car then struck an eastbound 2001 Chevrolet driven by Michelle Colley, 48, of 21385 Alabama 20 in Tanner. Colley and her 22-year-old daughter, Mary Jane Mills, who lived with her mother, were declared dead at the scene. Another passenger in her vehicle, Shyanne Michelle Elder, 4, of Tanner, died later at Huntsville Hospital. A third passenger, Kendal Jay Mills, 2, also of Tanner, was airlifted along with Elder to Huntsville Hospital. Both women were e wearing seat belts and both children were in car seats when the wreck occurred, according to the accident report.

The accident occurred about 4:10 p.m. in Decatur annexed portion of Limestone County. Colley and Mills lived in a small green house just off Alabama 20, only a few hundred yards from the accident site, according to the state patrol.

About Belt Law Firm, P.C.

Belt Law Firm, P.C., is an Alabama personal injury law firm that represents the victims of dangerous and defective products throughout the communities of Birmingham, Bessemer, Cullman, Tuscaloosa, Jasper, Homewood, Jefferson County, Shelby County, Walker County, Blount County and Saint Clair County. Although the firm’s focus is on regional litigation in Alabama, the firm’s attorneys have also represented clients in Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado and Delaware. To learn more, call the firm toll-free at (888) 933-1514 or use its online form.

The family of a South Carolina man killed in a fiery car crash has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against a Charleston restaurant that emerged on the national gourmet scene last year when it topped Bon Appetit magazine’s best new restaurant list.

Quentin Miller, 32, was killed on December 17 when his car was struck from behind on a bridge near Charleston in an early morning collision and burst into flames killing Miller at the scene. The driver of the vehicle that struck Miller’s, Adam Joseph Brunelle, was an assistant manager for Charleston’s Husk restaurant at the time and has been charged with felony driving under the influence.

In the suit, Miller’s family said that Husk allowed Brunelle to drink alcohol there past the legal bar closing time of 2 a.m. and his blood alcohol level was .24, three times the legal limit in South Carolina.

Frequently situations like this occur, where the purveyor of alcoholic beverages acts irresponsibly endangering the lives and well being of innocent drivers on the road. If this happens to you or your family, experienced legal consul should be retained to ensure financial compensation is received to offset the immediate costs incurred plus any future issues.

Reuters additional information

About Belt Law Firm, P.C.

Belt Law Firm, P.C., is an Alabama personal injury law firm that represents the victims of dangerous and defective products throughout the communities of Birmingham, Bessemer, Cullman, Tuscaloosa, Jasper, Homewood, Jefferson County, Shelby County, Walker County, Blount County and Saint Clair County. Although the firm’s focus is on regional litigation in Alabama, the firm’s attorneys have also represented clients in Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado and Delaware. To learn more, call the firm toll-free at (888) 933-1514 or use its online form.

A Mobile, Alabama attorney, Steven Andre Murray, was arrested early Tuesday in connection with a traffic accident with injuries. 41-year-old Steven Andre Murray was charged with driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident with injury, which is a Class C felony, according to the Code of Alabama. Murray was booked into Mobile County Metro Jail shortly before 4 a.m. and was released on bail totaling $6,000 about 5 hours later, according to jail records. Murray appeared in Mobile County District Court for a bail hearing Thursday morning, according to the jail records.

Murray’s practice is described as a debt relief agency that has been in practice since 2000 and specializes in Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcies. According to online court records, Murray has pleaded guilty to speeding on 4 different occasions between 1991 and 2008, receiving fines in each instance. The records also show other traffic violations which were not processed, and Murray has never been arrested before on charges more serious that traffic violations, the records show.

Driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs inevitably result in the impaired operator of the vehicle causing pain and injury to other drivers utilizing the roads in a legal manner. Leaving the scene of an accident just compounds the injury to whoever has been the unfortunate person involved in the accident. Individuals harmed with total disregard by a DUI operator of a vehicle need to retain legal consul to ensure they are properly compensated for all damage and personal injury as well as sending a strong financial message to the perpetrator.

About Belt Law Firm, P.C.

Belt Law Firm, P.C., is an Alabama personal injury law firm that represents the victims of dangerous and defective products throughout the communities of Birmingham, Bessemer, Cullman, Tuscaloosa, Jasper, Homewood, Jefferson County, Shelby County, Walker County, Blount County and Saint Clair County. Although the firm’s focus is on regional litigation in Alabama, the firm’s attorneys have also represented clients in Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado and Delaware. To learn more, call the firm toll-free at (888) 933-1514 or use its online form.

Students and faculty at Wetumpka Elementary School are mourning the loss of one of their own after a child was struck and killed by a vehicle. According to an Elmore County School District spokesperson, 5-year-old kindergartner Ethan Marshall Woods was struck by a 1995 Ford Explorer while he was waiting for the bus to school Tuesday morning. The accident happened at approximately 6:30 a.m. on Titus Road at the intersection of Thornton Road and Police say although other children were at the bus stop at the time of the accident, none of the other students were injured.

According to a report released by Alabama State Troopers, a number of circumstances led up to the death of 5-year-old Ethan Woods on Tuesday, January 12. The report indicates 51-year-old Brad Scholder was traveling South on Elmore County Road 29 at the intersection on Thornton Road around 6:30 that morning. Due to the early hour, and the weather that morning, conditions were listed in the report as “dark and rainy.” As Scholder’s 1995 Ford Explorer approached the intersection, something entered the road right in front of his vehicle. Scholder told authorities that it happened so quickly that he thought a deer or a dog ran out in front of him. He attempted to brake and swerve, but it was too late. Scholder’s SUV collided with the young boy.

Ethan’s 10-year-old sibling who witnessed the accident told authorities that prior to the wreck, Ethan had been playing by the side of the road opposite from the bus stop. He had been waiting for the last minute to catch his bus. The sibling stated that she told Ethan to wait, but he didn’t listen and darted into oncoming traffic, directly into the path of Scholder’s vehicle.

Troopers noted at the scene that Scholder smelled like alcohol and admitted to drinking the night before, however, the trooper noted on the report that he did not believe alcohol was a factor in the accident. A blood sample was obtained from Scholder and was sent to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for analysis. The blood sample is standard procedure in crashes involving serious injury or death. Once the toxicology report and the facts of the case are complete, the case will be reviewed by the Elmore County District Attorney and the Elmore County Grand Jury.

Additional information: WSFA 12 News

About Belt Law Firm, P.C.

Belt Law Firm, P.C., is an Alabama personal injury law firm that represents the victims of dangerous and defective products throughout the communities of Birmingham, Bessemer, Cullman, Tuscaloosa, Jasper, Homewood, Jefferson County, Shelby County, Walker County, Blount County and Saint Clair County. Although the firm’s focus is on regional litigation in Alabama, the firm’s attorneys have also represented clients in Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado and Delaware. To learn more, call the firm toll-free at (888) 933-1514 or use its online form.

Driving while under the influence of any substance, speeding, inattentive to road and weather conditions or without regard to traffic around you can cause irreversible damage as described in the recent accident below.

Emergency response crews were being called out as early as 4:30 Friday morning in response to a number of accidents along Alabama 113 near Flomaton. Several agencies, including the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department, responded to the incident that sent four people to D.W. McMillan Hospital. Escambia County Chief Deputy Mike Lambert said the multiple-car crash was the result of poor visibility.
“There was a dense fog advisory out for the night and into the morning, and it was right on target,” Lambert said. “There had also been some controlled burns throughout the county. When you have a low dew point, those kinds of conditions and no wind, it cuts visibility down to zero. That’s what we were dealing with on Alabama 113.”Lambert said as many as 10 vehicles, including 18-wheelers, were involved in a series of crashes. “There were actually three separate accidents that involved multiple vehicles,” Lambert said. “We had an 18-wheeler involved as well. From all of that there were four people transported to the hospital in Brewton.”
Although the crash closed traffic for more than four hours on the road, Lambert said none of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening. “We were on the scene for about four and a half hours,” Lambert said. “The first call we got was just after 4:30 a.m. Friday morning.”
Agencies responding to the crash included the Sheriff’s Department, Alabama Highway Patrol/State Troopers, Pineview Volunteer Fire Department, Flomaton Fire Department, Barnett Crossroad Volunteer Fire Department and the Alabama State Forestry Department. Alabama 113 was closed to through traffic from Foshee Road to I-65, Lambert said.

About Belt Law Firm, P.C.

Belt Law Firm, P.C., is an Alabama personal injury law firm that represents the victims of dangerous and defective products throughout the communities of Birmingham, Bessemer, Cullman, Tuscaloosa, Jasper, Homewood, Jefferson County, Shelby County, Walker County, Blount County and Saint Clair County. Although the firm’s focus is on regional litigation in Alabama, the firm’s attorneys have also represented clients in Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado and Delaware. To learn more, call the firm toll-free at (888) 933-1514 or use its online form.

New Research Shows Major Drop in Drunk-Driving Fatalities in Many States and Nationally, however Alabama had a 4.5% increase in Alcohol Impaired Driving Fatalities.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today kicked off a nationwide crackdown on drunk driving coinciding with the 2011 winter holiday season. New data show drunk-driving deaths declined in 2010 in many parts of the country. However, the data also show that fatalities from alcohol-impaired driving crashes continue to account for one in three deaths on American roadways each year.

“Safety is our focus year round at DOT. But this holiday season, we’re stepping up our efforts to get drunk drivers off our roads and reminding Americans ‘drive sober, or get pulled over,’ ” said Secretary LaHood. “We’re making gains in our fight against drunk driving, but we cannot and will not let up.”

New state-by-state data for 2010 released by the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show a decline in drunk driving fatalities in 32 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Compared with 2009, California and Florida saw the largest reductions — with each declining by more than 100 fatalities last year.

All 50 states and the District of Columbia have outlawed driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher. Yet NHTSA data show that last year, 10,228 people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, including 415 during the second half of December alone.

The education and enforcement effort is the latest push in the Department’s “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign involving thousands of law enforcement agencies across the country. The winter holiday enforcement crackdown is supported by a $7 million national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over advertisement campaign that runs from December 16 through January 2. The ads, which first premiered this past summer, feature “invisible” law enforcement officers observing alcohol-impaired individuals and then apprehending them when they attempt to drive their vehicles. The ads are designed to raise awareness and support law enforcement activities in every state. They convey the message that law enforcement officers are vigilant in deterring drunk drivers.

“Thanks to the hard work of law enforcement and safety advocates and the incredible commitment of organizations like Mothers Against Drunk Driving, we are making real progress in reducing drunk driving deaths,” said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland. “Our message to drivers is clear: if you decide to drink, find a safe and sober ride home or you will be pulled over.”

Secretary LaHood and NHTSA Administrator Strickland were joined for today’s announcement by Virginia law enforcement officials and Jan Withers, National President of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).

“The data clearly show that while drunk driving remains the primary threat to American families on our roadways, we have a path to progress,” said Withers. “Increased enforcement efforts around the holidays are a vital part of MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving®, which relies on proven drunk driving countermeasures to eliminate the leading cause of highway fatalities.”

About Belt Law Firm, P.C.

Belt Law Firm, P.C., is an Alabama personal injury law firm that represents the victims of dangerous and defective products throughout the communities of Birmingham, Bessemer, Cullman, Tuscaloosa, Jasper, Homewood, Jefferson County, Shelby County, Walker County, Blount County and Saint Clair County. Although the firm’s focus is on regional litigation in Alabama, the firm’s attorneys have also represented clients in Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado and Delaware. To learn more, call the firm toll-free at (888) 933-1514 or use its online form.

Jason Gentle

Driving under the influence continues to be a major problem on the Alabama highways contributing to the death of innocent unsuspecting drivers.

The driver of a truck involved in a deadly collision with a motorcyclist on Alabama 53, causing Police to close parts of the highway for almost two hours before reopening it to traffic again. Jason Christopher Gentle of Huntsville, the driver of the truck,  collided with a motorcycle driven by 73-year-old Robert M. Walker of Ardmore, Tenn.  Walker was transported to Huntsville Hospital, where he died, police said. The driver of the truck, Gentle had cooperated with police at the scene of the accident and he was released.

However, Jason Christopher Gentle , was charged hours later at a traffic stop for driving under the influence and possession of a controlled substance, according to Huntsville police. He was booked into the Madison County jail Friday, and police are awaiting toxicology reports on Gentle to determine if any further charges will be brought in the accident which occurred earlier on Alabama 53, south of Kelly Spring Road.  In that incident Walker’s motorcycle was hit by Gentle’s north-bound truck that had veered into the southbound lane and hitting him head on, causing his death.

About Belt Law Firm, P.C.

Belt Law Firm, P.C., is an Alabama personal injury law firm that represents the victims of dangerous and defective products throughout the communities of Birmingham, Bessemer, Cullman, Tuscaloosa, Jasper, Homewood, Jefferson County, Shelby County, Walker County, Blount County and Saint Clair County. Although the firm’s focus is on regional litigation in Alabama, the firm’s attorneys have also represented clients in Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado and Delaware. To learn more, call the firm toll-free at (888) 933-1514 or use its online form.

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The passenger, William Verlyn Parris, 54, also of Centre, was ejected from the vehicle upon striking the first guardrail. The single-vehicle crash occurred Monday night on County Road 22 approximately 12 miles east of Centre requiring a landing-zone to be set up near the scene of the accident by members of the McCord’s Fire Department for helicopter transport. So that William Verlyn Parris could be airlifted to Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga, Tenn, for treatment. That accident remains under investigation by Alabama State Troopers and you can read more: Anniston Star

Montgomery police say a 28-year-old woman is dead and two people – including a Gainesville man – were injured in a multi-vehicle accident on I-85 that snarled rush-hour traffic for hours.

MPD’s investigation indicates that the accident was the result of a fifth non-contact vehicle, a 1997 Dodge Ram 1500, that swerved into the left emergency lane because of a flat tire. The abrupt move caused the Trailblazer and the Peterbilt/flatbed to collide, which in turn created a domino effect collision between a 1994 Freightliner and a 2011 Dodge Avenger.

The accident occurred between Taylor and Bell roads on the northbound lanes of I-85 around 3:45 p.m., shutting down the interstate shortly before rush hour.  The wreck caused major traffic congestion throughout Montgomery as police worked to reroute traffic through Eastern Boulevard, down Atlanta Highway and back onto I-85 at the Mitylene exit.

The victim, 28-year-old Jessica Michelle McMillan from Monroeville, Alabama, was a passenger in a tractor-trailer traveling south with a load of logs and upon overturning this load spilled onto the highway shutting down the inter-state for hours. Injured were Carl Richard Brown Jr., 48, of Gainesville, Ga., who was the driver the Freightliner; and Terri Darlene Ross, 45, of Montgomery, who was the driver of the Avenger.

About Belt Law Firm, P.C.

Belt Law Firm, P.C., is an Alabama personal injury law firm that represents the victims of dangerous and defective products throughout the communities of Birmingham, Bessemer, Cullman, Tuscaloosa, Jasper, Homewood, Jefferson County, Shelby County, Walker County, Blount County and Saint Clair County. Although the firm’s focus is on regional litigation in Alabama, the firm’s attorneys have also represented clients in Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado and Delaware. To learn more, call the firm toll-free at (888) 933-1514 or use its online form.

Charles David Fancher, 54, of Birmingham died from injuries he sustained in the two vehicle accident in an early Monday morning accident in Autauga County . Fancher was taken to Baptist Medical Center in Prattville for emergency treatment, but later died from his injuries.
The accident occurred on Interstate 65, two miles north of the Pine Level exit in the northbound lanes, with weather not considered a factor. Fancher, who was driving a 2008 Honda Fit, struck an 18-wheeler that had apparently lost control and  overturned in the roadway. The overturned UPS 18 wheeler truck blocked the northbound lanes of Interstate 65 and the highway was closed down for several hours to investigate scene and clear the site.

Accidents like this take an emotional toll on the surviving relative and friends, plus cause undue financial strain on the family. As the driver of a vehicle, it is always important to remain vigilant behind the wheel and take a defensive posture especially on the Interstate Highways were speed limits your reaction time.

About Belt Law Firm, P.C.

Belt Law Firm, P.C., is an Alabama personal injury law firm that represents the victims of dangerous and defective products throughout the communities of Birmingham, Bessemer, Cullman, Tuscaloosa, Jasper, Homewood, Jefferson County, Shelby County, Walker County, Blount County and Saint Clair County. Although the firm’s focus is on regional litigation in Alabama, the firm’s attorneys have also represented clients in Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado and Delaware. To learn more, call the firm toll-free at (888) 933-1514 or use its online form.