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Man Dies In Atmore Wreck (With Photo Gallery)
June 28, 2011
One person died in a three vehicle collision on Highway 21 at Fountain Prison in Atmore this morning.
Jessie Hemphill, 73, of Geraldine, Alabama, was pronounced dead on the scene. Witnesses said Hemphill was northbound in a 1996 Jaguar when he collided with a southbound 2005 Freightliner operated by Standard Furniture of Bay Minette. Witnesses said he attempted to pass a Nissan Maxima when the rear wheels of the tractor and wheels of the trailer hit the Jaguar.
For a photo gallery from the scene, click here.
The driver of the Maxima, 47-year old Patricia Ann Myers of Atmore, was transported by ambulance to Atmore Community Hospital and then transferred by LifeFlight to USA Medical Center in Mobile. Her condition was not available. The driver of the semi-truck, Robert Earl Stevens, 44, of Bay Minette, was not injured.
The accident is still under investigation by Alabama State Troopers.
Pictured: The driver of this Jaguar (top) was killed after colliding with this 18-wheeler (below). A passenger in a third vehicle (pictured inset) was also injured in the wreck on Highway 21 at Fountain Prison in Atmore. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
27 Responses to “Man Dies In Atmore Wreck (With Photo Gallery)”
I am so sorry fo the family, this is just so horrible. My prayers are with the family and loved oned.
I knew Mr Hemphill a short time, he seemed really nice and polite. I have known his wife Carolyn for sometime and she is a wonderful person i love her alot and its tragic she is at a loss of her husband and i agree with the others people shouldnt be so quick to judge others. Cause no one knows all the facts if he had a heart attack there wasnt much he would have been able to do. So if you dont have anything nice to say dont say anything at all. You need to ask Jesus to come into your heart and let you have some compassion it could have been some of your family there. I pray for people that dont respect the loss of a love one to the familys when they write stuff on here. THey need help they should get on their knees and pray. God Bless to Caroyln and her and Lowell children and grandchildren. Im so so sorry for your loss. Our prayers our with you. LOve always
The person killed in this wreck did have health problems and from the comment from the person that thought he met him prior to the accident, it seems as if he was having a health issue of some kind since all the people that has made comments about his driving in middle of road and ect., might of been a heart attack or stroke. People needs to watch what you put in print, and have respect for his family. If it was you, how would you feel reading comments like some of these about your deceased family member.
I have known this man for35 years and have never known of him speeding or driving recklessly .I would presume he was having a very disabling attack of some sorts from health problems .God bless his family he will be sorely missed .
I have worked with Mr. Lowell Hemphill for nearly two decades, and also considered him a friend. This man was kind and would NEVER hurt anyone on purpose. Please respect his memory and the family he leaves behind.
i and my husband saw him on a daily basis he was a very sweet man i just wish people would stop judging him and what happened he will be missed so much our thoughts and prayers go out to his family especially his wife of over fifty years
It’s dangerous on the road, always has been. Be careful; it won’t get better.
This man was a dear friend of my family. I saw this man on a daily basis. He was never in a hurry to go anywhere or do anything. He enjoyed life. He was in that area doing his job. God says do not judge people. Thanks for all the prayers but keep your opinions to yourself because you do not know the facts. He did have health problems and has been sent for an autopsy. He will be missed deeply. My prayers to the family.
Yep, people have strokes, heart attacks, a seizures behind the wheel all the time. An older friend of the family hit a wall head on during a stroke and died. Witnesses said he was trying to kill himself, he was crazy, he was trying to kill someone else… Poor guy couldn’t help it.
there were several people who work at the prison stated there were several people in the ditches in the result of this driver because they did not want to get hit so thankful there was nobody else is hurt. my prays go out to the family who lost a love one. whatever happen with him only the Guy that died and God.
Why are people so quickly to judge when they weren’t there? Maybe something healthwise happened to the driver which made him lose control. I mean, I know there are crazy people out there but this was someone’s family member and some people are bashing him! Get the facts first, then comment.
Speed limit is 45 MPH in that area. Everytime I travel through there, I slow down to the speed limit 45 MPH and am passed by every vehicle that comes up behind me. There is a reason to slow in this area. It is sad that someone has lost their life, the man should have pulled over off the road if he was having problems. Others say he was driving in the middle of the road before the accident occurred. My thoughts are with the families of all involved.
yes thank you for all you people posting on my family members passing. from the reports we have received so far something happened while he was driving from the lack of skid marks and the way he hit the tank of the truck there was no slowing down. the most likely cause was that he had a heart attack behind the wheel so thank you all for your words about him.
wow-is it so important to get somewhere 5 seconds sooner-very very sad-especially for the person in the other car-she wasn’t doing anything wrong-he just couldn’t wait-please slow down people-is it worth it to lose your life or cost the life of another…..
Bama Girl, the witnesses were prison employees arriving at work just before 8am…
An addendum to the story: the woman in the Maxima was released from the Hospital and is doing fine.
I also new this man….he was a very nice elderly man that was well known in our community. Something must have been very ergent for him to have been speeding or just maybe the person he was trying to pass wouldn’t let him back over! It is not always the obvious. My thoughts an prayers sincerly go out to his family an friends.
I travel that road every day going to work and if it was about 7:50 I would have probably met this driver….thankful I was off today!!!! I will thank my boss for allowing me to be off!!! Prayers are with the families of all the drivers involved.
My heart aches for the family……..
But drivers take note………
If an aggressive driver approaches you from behind, pleasssse change lanes or pull over rather than be part of this mayhem….. It’s not worth the hassle or heartache.
Don’t let your ego out-weigh your wisdom……
My prayers are with the family of the deceased.
just peachy’s comment makes me wonder if someone was chasing him–perhaps a road rage case. Know I was told that he was like alot of other people, who actually go slower than the speed limit normally which sometimes frustrated his grandchildren.
I personally knew the driver that was killed – everyone is so quick to assume that he was speeding or did something wrong. I cannot imagine that all these people witnessed the accident. Please have some compassion for the family and friends of this man!
This is so sad. It seems like everyone is in a big hurry to get to wherever they are going. My prayers to the family of the one who lost his life and the one who was injured.
Its just like Atmore hwy, they pass on the double yellow everyday and I mean everyday, (don’t do the speed limit because thats to slow for them) they are putting your life in jeopardy too when they do this crap, nothing is so important that it is worth your life or others, it will be there when you get there.
I believe I met this car just abt 1/4 mile from the accident scene at the south gate by the press entrance at 7:51am. He was driving on my side of the road. I got over as far as I could and blew my horn as we met. He had done the same thing to the car up ahead of me. I don’t recall a car in front of him, but there was one following closely behind him. I remember thinking that I would not follow so close to someone driving in the middle of the highway.
I wonder if The Wittnesses were the residents of Fountain Prison!!! Just asking. Sorry to hear that the drivers were injured and killed!
Why would anyone try to pass there?? Also how did he not see the giant blue 18 wheeler?? I was up in that area yesterday morning and there was wreck there as well. The slower speed zones are only 1-2 miles long in front of the prison and doesn’t take long to get past….
This is tragic that someone had to die because they could not obay the speed limit laws. This is why people get hurt in car accidents, because they think they have to go faster than everyone else! Everytime I go through this area I do the speed limit (35mph) and of course I always get passed because they think I’m going to slow!!! If more troopers were posted in this area I think some people would slow down.