NEEL, AL : 2 killed, 1 hurt in Neel accident on Tuesday, February 14th 2017

A Decatur woman and a Danville man died Tuesday morning, and a Decatur man sustained serious injuries, when they were struck by a pickup at the scene of a previous wreck.

Brenda Casteel Berryman, 59, of Decatur, and Bryan Anthony Johnson, 31, of Danville, were killed when they were struck by a pickup operated by Matthew Herman Carrington, 39, of Falkville, state troopers said.

Berryman's husband, Edgar Ray Berryman, 64, was transported to Huntsville Hospital.

Brenda Berryman was pronounced dead at the scene. Johnson was airlifted to Huntsville Hospital, where he died.

The three people were struck when Carrington swerved to avoid the wreckage at the scene of a previous accident, according to authorities.

Morgan County Coroner Jeff Chunn said he pronounced Brenda Berryman dead at 6:07 a.m.

Ken Callahan, the owner of Pop’s Place and Deli, 6063 Danville Road, Neel, said most of the morning he was busy fielding questions about the wreck less than a mile south of his store.

“Everybody in the store (Tuesday) has been talking and asking about the wreck,” Callahan said. “When anything like this happens in a small community, it hurts.”

The incident occurred in the 6200 block of Danville Road in front of Neel Church of Christ. Morgan County 911 Director Ryan Welty said dispatchers received the initial call reporting a head-on collision at 5:43 a.m.

“I understand the vehicle the woman was in was on fire and her husband got her out of the vehicle safely,” Chunn said, “and shortly thereafter, she was struck by the third vehicle.”

According to state troopers, a red Ford pickup and brown Chevrolet SUV were initially involved in a collision. The victims were out of their vehicles when they were struck by the third vehicle, troopers said.

Rick Sherman, of Neel, said he heard the first collision from his house about 300 yards away. He said he quickly went to the scene.

“When I got there, the husband was with his wife in the ditch,” said Sherman, a former Morgan County sheriff’s deputy. “I realized she was gone.”

He said Johnson was still in the roadway.

“I was talking to him,” Sherman said. “He told me he was cold. I helped stabilize him and helped get him into the helicopter. … I did all I could do with my training to help in a difficult situation.”

Sherman said the headlights on the two vehicles were out because of the collision, and it would have been difficult for him to see the wreckage in the pre-dawn darkness if the SUV had not been on fire. Punkin Center and Neel volunteer firefighters were the first responders on the scene, Sherman said.

The affected portion of Danville Road was closed for about two hours, witnesses said.

Troopers are investigating the accident.

Source :
2 killed, 1 hurt in Neel accident