MORGAN COUNTY, Ala. – Officials with the Alabama Department of Transportation say one of their employees was killed due to a wreck on Interstate 65. The employee is identified as 35-year-old Jacob Smith.
An ALDOT spokesman says a second employee, 63-year-old Kenneth Hopper, was injured in the wreck. It happened Thursday morning on the northbound side of the interstate near the Tennessee River Bridge.
Traffic was diverted to Highway 67 for some time.
ALDOT officials say the cause of the crash remains under investigation. The department says the two were on a transportation truck removing barrels following a lane closure for repairs to the bridge deck.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Mr. Smith, and we hope and pray for a speedy recovery for Mr. Hopper,” said ALDOT Director John Cooper in a written statement. “This is a sobering reminder that we all must do everything we can to keep our highways safe. Motorists must slow down, watch out for highway workers and and safely move over when passing work crews.”
We understand officers were able to start moving the motorists who were stuck on the Interstate between the exit to Highway 67 and the wreck at mile-marker 335. Below is video of the scene from one of those motorists.
Traffic at a standstill the last 20 minutes on 65 northbound just before the TN river bridge. @whnt @spann pic.twitter.com/Z3fDCOoR5j
— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) April 14, 2016
And this is video as that same motorist traveled past the wreck that caused the delay:
Just started moving traffic on 65 northbound. Just passed scene. Multiple vehicle accident. @spann @whnt pic.twitter.com/pvDOV2LHCN
— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) April 14, 2016