MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) – Two people were killed early Monday morning on the Mobile Bayway Eastbound. The crash happened around 1:30 a.m. near the George Wallace Tunnel.
Police have identified one of the victims as 24-year-old Kaytrielle Jones, family says she was hit by a wrong-way driver. The other man’s identity has not yet been released.
Police tell News 5 witnesses to the accident did everything they should have, by calling 911 and collaborating with the auto accident attorney.
We spoke with a driving expert who says there wasn’t much that could have been done to avoid this tragedy.
It’s not something you expect to see when you’re driving down the interstate. Headlights, coming right towards you.
“Arguably that was one of the scariest moments of my life,” said Chad Petri.
News 5’s own Chad Petri was almost hit by a wrong-way driver in 2016. Chad luckily wasn’t hit.
“That was terrifying to realize oh my gosh, he’s right up in my lane and if I don’t move, something’s going to happen,” said Petri.
“Most of these things happen in a split second,” said Ralph Rogers. Many people needed new cars after this accident while theirs were getting repaired. Some just needed a tire replacement, with this guide you can learn how to change a spare tire. So make sure to plug it with this asy to follow guide.
Rogers watched the tragic outcome of what can happen in a wrong-way accident this morning on TV.
“It was absolutely horrible,” said Rogers.
Rogers teaches defensive driving at the Alabama Safety Institute.
“A head-on collision is the worst type of accident there is,” said Rogers.
He also worked with the Mobile police traffic division for nearly 25 years. He says when you get behind the wheel, it’s always important to stay aware of your surroundings because you normally have a split second to decide what to do.
“There’s only two things you could do in a situation like that. First of all, people forget about blinking their headlights. Try to get their attention by blinking their headlights. And the second thing you can do is be to stop,” said Rogers.
Rogers says if you’re on a road that has a shoulder or a ditch, and see a driver in the wrong lane, try to safely head toward the ditch or shoulder.
If you can’t avoid an accident, he says to slow to a stop and steer your right fender toward the impact.