RUSSELLVILLE, AL : Two Franklin County men died from injuries sustained in two separate accidents on April, Friday 14th 2017

Two Franklin County men died from injuries sustained in two separate accidents on Friday, troopers said.

Senior Trooper Johnathan Appling, a public information officer with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, identified the fatalities as George Earl Craig, 47, of Russellville, and Jeremy Christopher Tolbert, 30, of Hodges.

Both men were involved in single vehicle accidents.

Craig’s accident occurred at 8:15 p.m. Friday on Franklin 48, eight miles east of Russellville.

Reports indicate Craig was driving a 1995 Chevrolet Caprice that left the roadway, hit a culvert and flipped.

Troopers said he was not wearing his seat belt.

Franklin County Coroner Elzie Malone pronounced Craig dead at the scene. He said Craig died from trauma and from extreme heat from a fire.

Officials at the scene said when Craig’s car hit the culvert, it started flipping and when it came to rest it apparently caught fire.

"It had to flip several times," Malone said.

Emergency personnel at the scene said it appeared Craig was trapped inside the vehicle when it caught fire.

Authorities said it appeared Craig's car ran off the roadway in a curve.

Appling said Tolbert was injured in an accident that occurred Friday morning just after midnight.

The accident happened on I-22 at the six-mile marker, five miles west of Hamilton.

Appling said Tolbert was taken from the scene to UAB Hospital where he died later in the morning.

Reports indicate he was driving a 2005 Volkswagen Jetta that left the roadway and slammed into a guardrail.

Both accidents are under investigation by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s state troopers division.

Source :
Two Franklin men killed in Friday traffic accidents