Nine Children, One Adult Killed in Multi-Car Crash in Butler County, Alabama
A tragic crash in Butler County, Alabama left nine children and one adult dead Saturday afternoon. The pile-up involved more than a dozen vehicles.
Details of the Fatal Butler Count Crash
CBS Austin reports the fatal crash occurred on Interstate 65 northbound involving a total of 17 vehicles, including two commercial vehicles. Seven of the vehicles involved caught fire.
Eight of the children killed were occupants of a van belonging to the Alabama Sheriffs Youth Ranches which was being used in Tallapoosa County at the Tallapoosa County Girls Ranch. The ages of the children included a 3-year-old, 8-year-old, 12-year-old, 14-year-old, 15-year-old, two 16-year-olds, and a 17-year-old.
The driver of the van, Candice Gulley, was pulled from the wreckage and survived; however, Alabama Sheriffs Youth Ranches Chief Executive Office Michael Smith confirmed two of the children killed in the crash were Gulley’s.
The van was one of two vans transporting children with the Tallapoosa County Girls Ranch back from a trip to the Gulf Shores.
Two other victims killed in the collision were in a separate vehicle. They have been identified as Cody Fox, 29, and his nine-month-old daughter, Ariana Fox. A third passenger in Fox’s vehicle was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The crash remains under investigation.
U.S. Fatal Car Accident Statistics
The information below compiled by SaferAmerica.com.
- In 2017, 40,327 people killed in U.S. motor vehicle collisions. In 2016, there were 34,439 police-reported fatal car accidents – a 5.8 percent increase from 2015.
- These fatal crashes led to 37,461 total fatalities, including 25,096 vehicle occupants, 5,286 motorcyclists, and 7,079 nonoccupants.
- 58 percent of police-reported fatal car accidents involved only one vehicle.
- In 2016, the deadliest 3-hour period was midnight to 3am on Saturdays, with 1,015 fatal crashes – closely followed by 6pm to 9pm on the same day with 1,001 crashes.
- 38 percent of all fatal car accidents began from a collision with another motor vehicle. The most common collision occurred at an angle.
- 40 percent of all fatal car accidents started by a collision with a fixed object (such as trees or street signs) or a noncollision (such as rollovers).
- In 2016, the most fatal car accidents happened in the summer months of June through September, peaking in the month of October with 3,249 fatal crashes.
Contact an Experienced Car Accident Lawyer
If you or a loved one have been injured in a car crash, contact Thomas J. Henry. Our experienced Texas car accident lawyers have experience handling a multitude of injury accidents, no matter how severe the crash or injury. You may be entitled to compensation for your damages if another driver acted negligently. Our firm has the experienced lawyers and financial resources that you need to achieve the real results you deserve.
Our firm has offices in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, and Austin serving clients across Texas and nationwide. Call us today for a free case review — attorneys are available 24/7, nights and weekends. If you cannot make it to our office, we can visit you at your home, in the hospital, or at work.
