By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer
An Atmore man and the Jay, Fla. woman who was driving the car in which he was a passenger, both lost their lives in a July 20 multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 65 .
According to Alabama State Trooper reports, Brittney K. Talbot, 37, of Jay was fatally injured when the 2001 Honda Civic she was driving was struck by a 2021 Dodge Ram driven by David R. Mayfield, 35, of Springville.
Talbot’s vehicle crossed the median into the northbound lanes of traffic and was struck by a 2021 Ford F-150 driven by Jesse M. Reed, 55, of Bay Minette, as well as a 2015 Toyota Highlander driven by Timothy M. Ratliff, 58, of Mount Olive.
Talbot and her passenger, 38-year-old Christopher D. Knighten of Atmore, were pronounced dead at the scene. Troopers said neither victim was using a seat belt at the time of the crash, which occurred near the interstate’s 20-mile marker, inside Creola’s city limits.
Layton Knight, a childhood friend of Christopher Knighten, was one of many who were deeply saddened by news of the fatality.
“I went to school with Chris,” Knight said. “What I remember most is that he was always doing flips. I sure hated to hear about it.”
Both northbound lanes of I-65 were closed for more than three hours as emergency personnel and troopers performed their grim tasks.