PIEDMONT, AL — A tragic crash late Friday night claimed the lives of two adults and left a 9-year-old child injured in a devastating head-on collision along Highway 9, just north of Piedmont. Authorities say the deadly incident occurred shortly before midnight near mile marker 237, prompting a swift emergency response from state troopers and local first responders.
According to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), 37-year-old Patryck L. Smith was driving along Highway 9 when his vehicle crossed the center line and collided head-on with another car driven by Kimberly Kelisha Eden Feazell. The violent impact caused severe damage to both vehicles, scattering debris across the roadway and forcing authorities to close the area for several hours overnight.
Despite immediate efforts by first responders, both Smith and Feazell were pronounced dead at the scene due to their injuries. Emergency personnel worked to rescue a 9-year-old child who had been traveling as a passenger in Feazell’s vehicle. The child sustained injuries in the crash and was quickly transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. Officials have not released details on the extent of the child’s injuries, but reports indicate the child is expected to survive.
State troopers are continuing to investigate the circumstances leading up to the collision. Early findings suggest that road conditions were dry at the time, and no other vehicles were involved. Authorities are examining whether speed, distraction, or impairment may have played a role in the fatal crash. Witnesses are being interviewed as part of the ongoing inquiry.
The tragic accident has left the Piedmont community in mourning as friends and family members remember both victims. Feazell, described by those who knew her as a loving mother and kind friend, leaves behind a grieving family now focused on the recovery of the injured child. Smith, too, is being remembered by relatives and neighbors who say his death came as a shocking loss.
As investigators work to piece together the cause of the collision, ALEA officials are reminding drivers to stay alert and cautious, especially during nighttime travel on rural highways. They emphasize that even a moment of distraction can lead to devastating consequences, as this heartbreaking crash tragically demonstrates.
