Toxey Man, 36, Killed in Head-On Choctaw County Crash With Tractor-Trailer on Alabama 17
Colby R. Austin, 36, of Toxey died Wednesday night when the minivan he was driving collided head-on with a tractor-trailer on Alabama 17 south of Butler, ALEA said. Two other men were hurt.
BUTLER, Ala. — A Toxey man was killed Wednesday night in a head-on Choctaw County crash with a tractor-trailer on Alabama 17 south of Butler, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.
Colby R. Austin, 36, was driving a 2010 Honda Odyssey when it collided head-on with a 2015 Volvo tractor-trailer at about 7:25 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28, state troopers said. Austin was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the tractor-trailer, Anthony T. Jones, 49, of Jackson, Mississippi, was injured and taken to Choctaw General Hospital in Butler for treatment. A passenger in the Honda, Derrick W. Gray Jr., 22, of Gaston, South Carolina, was also injured and was taken to Ochsner Rush Medical Center in Meridian, Mississippi.
ALEA has not released the conditions of the two injured men.
Where the crash happened
The crash occurred on Alabama 17 near mile marker 103, about three miles south of Butler, the Choctaw County seat. Troopers assigned to the Grove Hill Post of ALEA’s Highway Patrol Division responded and are handling the investigation.
Alabama 17 is one of the main north-south routes through west Alabama, running near the Mississippi state line and linking Butler with smaller communities to the south, including Toxey, where Austin lived. In rural Choctaw County, the highway carries both local traffic and commercial trucks.
Key facts
- When: About 7:25 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026
- Where: Alabama 17 near mile marker 103, about three miles south of Butler, Choctaw County
- Vehicles: A 2010 Honda Odyssey and a 2015 Volvo tractor-trailer
- Killed: Colby R. Austin, 36, of Toxey, the driver of the Honda
- Injured: Tractor-trailer driver Anthony T. Jones, 49, of Jackson, Mississippi, taken to Choctaw General Hospital in Butler; Honda passenger Derrick W. Gray Jr., 22, of Gaston, South Carolina, taken to Ochsner Rush Medical Center in Meridian, Mississippi
- Investigating agency: Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Highway Patrol Division, Grove Hill Post
What troopers have not said
ALEA has not said what caused the two vehicles to collide or which vehicle crossed into the other’s lane. The agency also has not said whether weather, lighting, speed or impairment are being considered as factors, or whether any charges or citations are possible.
Troopers said no further information was available as the investigation continues. Fatal crash investigations by the Highway Patrol often include reconstruction of the scene, examination of the vehicles and interviews with surviving drivers and passengers and any witnesses, and findings can take weeks to complete.
About the communities involved
Choctaw County sits in southwest Alabama along the Mississippi line, north of Washington County and west of Clarke County. Butler, the county seat, is home to the county courthouse and Choctaw General Hospital, which serves residents across the rural county.
Toxey is a small town in southern Choctaw County, south of Butler along the Alabama 17 corridor.
Ochsner Rush Medical Center in Meridian, where the passenger was taken, is a regional hospital in east Mississippi that serves patients from both sides of the state line.
Roads on the Choctaw County ballot
The crash comes days before Choctaw County voters decide on Tuesday, Nov. 3, whether to approve a new property tax of up to five mills dedicated to county roads and bridges. The pay-as-you-go plan lists 24 projects covering about 46 miles of roadway, with a total estimated cost of $13.1 million, including $9.5 million from the special tax. Read more about the Choctaw County road tax proposal.
The proposal covers county-maintained roads and bridges. Alabama 17 is a state highway maintained by the Alabama Department of Transportation, and ALEA has not said whether road conditions played any role in the crash.
Head-on crashes on rural highways
Head-on collisions make up a small share of all crashes, but they are among the deadliest, particularly on two-lane rural highways where vehicles travel at highway speeds with little separation between opposing lanes. Collisions involving large trucks pose added danger to the occupants of passenger vehicles because of the difference in size and weight.
State traffic safety officials regularly urge drivers to:
- Stay alert and avoid distractions, including phones, especially after dark.
- Keep to the right side of the lane and use extra caution on curves and hills.
- Pass only where it is legal and there is a clear view of oncoming traffic.
- Give tractor-trailers extra room, as large trucks need more distance to stop and have larger blind spots.
- Never drive impaired or while drowsy.
- Make sure every passenger is buckled up.
ALEA’s investigation into Wednesday’s crash is ongoing. South AL News will report additional information about its cause when troopers release it.
