By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer
Three people were injured last Friday, February 7, including one who was airlifted to a Mobile hospital, when an empty log truck slammed into the rear of a passenger vehicle, triggering a chain reaction that included two other passenger vehicles.
According to Alabama State Trooper reports, the multi-vehicle mishap occurred around 3:50 p.m. near the intersection of Highway 31 and 21st Avenue.
According to reports, a vehicle was waiting to turn off 31 onto North 21st Avenue. A 2007 Chevrolet driven by Mercedes Hard of Atmore was stopped behind it, a 2009 Ford Mustang driven by Karen A. Johnson of Flomaton was stopped behind it, and a Chevrolet SUV driven by Breonna Dean of Flomaton was stopped behind the Mustang.
The log truck, a 1993 Peterbilt owned by Easterling Brothers & Sons of Brewton, reportedly plowed into the back of the SUV, pushing it into the Mustang, which was knocked into the Chevy sedan. The log truck then reportedly jack-knifed and slid through a ditch, hitting the Mustang again.
One of the drivers was taken by ambulance to the helipad at Atmore Community Hospital, then immediately airlifted to USA Health University Hospital in Mobile, while another was taken by ambulance to ACH and the third was taken to the local hospital by family members.
Two young children, both uninjured, were taken by their grandparents to the local hospital, where they were evaluated before being released.
The driver of the log truck, William B. Henry of Brewton, was not injured.
The wreck tied up traffic into and out of Atmore for at least three hours before the wreckage was cleared enough for vehicles to pass.