April Ballard and Jesse Southard Pelham, ALA Accident: Two People Dies in Wrong-Way Crash on I-65 in Pelham – A tragic wrong-way crash on Interstate 65 in Pelham claimed the lives of two people early Friday morning, April 24, according to authorities.
The Shelby County Coroner’s Office identified the victims as 20-year-old Jesse Southard of Birmingham and 37-year-old April Ballard of Leeds.
Officials say the crash happened around 3 a.m. when Ballard’s truck was traveling southbound in the northbound lanes of I-65. Authorities reported that Southard was struck head-on, leading to a devastating collision.
The two-vehicle crash forced the closure of the northbound lanes of I-65 between the Tank Farm exit and the Oak Mountain State Park exit for several hours as emergency crews responded and investigators worked the scene.
