MONROE COUNTY, Ala. — A 68-year-old Evergreen man died and two other people were hurt after a head-on crash on Alabama 21 just south of Beatrice late Monday morning, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.
State troopers identified the man who died as Ricky J. York. He was a passenger in a Mazda 3 that collided head-on with a Ford F-150 pickup truck, ALEA said Tuesday.
Victims flown to hospitals in Florida and Montgomery
York was critically injured in the crash and was flown by medical helicopter to Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, Florida, where he later died, according to ALEA.
The driver of the Mazda, 65-year-old Sherry D. York, also of Evergreen, was airlifted to Baptist Medical Center South in Montgomery, troopers said. ALEA did not release information about her condition.
The pickup was driven by Jeffrey L. Gandy, 63, of Elberta, according to the agency. Troopers said Gandy was taken to Monroe County Hospital in Monroeville. His condition was not released.
Where the crash happened
The collision occurred on Alabama 21 near Black’s Loop Road, roughly a mile south of the town of Beatrice in Monroe County, according to ALEA.
Beatrice is a small community in Monroe County, and Alabama 21 serves as one of the main routes connecting it with Monroeville, the county seat, and other towns in the region. Like many rural state highways in South Alabama, much of the route is a two-lane road where vehicles traveling in opposite directions are separated only by painted lines.
Investigation continues
Troopers with ALEA’s Highway Patrol Division are investigating the crash. The agency has not said what caused the vehicles to collide, and no other details about the circumstances were released Tuesday.
ALEA was formed in 2015 by consolidating several of Alabama’s state law enforcement and public safety agencies under one department, and its Highway Patrol Division is the state trooper force most Alabamians see on the road. The division typically investigates crashes on state and federal highways outside city limits. In a fatal crash investigation, troopers generally document the scene, examine the vehicles involved, take measurements and speak with any witnesses. In some cases, the agency’s specialized crash reconstruction specialists are called in to help determine speeds, vehicle positions and the sequence of events. Findings can take weeks to complete.
Head-on crashes and two-lane highway safety
Head-on collisions are among the most dangerous types of crashes because the force of two vehicles moving toward each other combines on impact. Although nothing has been released about what led to Monday’s crash, traffic safety officials offer general advice for drivers on two-lane rural highways:
- Stay alert and avoid distractions such as phones, which can cause a driver to drift across the center line.
- Pass only where passing is legally permitted and when there is a long, clear view of oncoming traffic.
- Slow down on curves and hills, where sight distance is limited.
- Never drive while impaired or drowsy.
- Make sure every person in the vehicle is buckled up, every trip.
- If an oncoming vehicle drifts into your lane, slow down and steer toward the right shoulder rather than into the opposing lane.
If you come upon a crash
Drivers who arrive at a serious crash before emergency crews are generally advised to pull well off the road, turn on their hazard lights and call 911 with the most precise location they can give, such as a highway number, nearby road name or mile marker. Unless there is an immediate danger such as fire, injured people should not be moved, because doing so can worsen injuries. Drivers passing an active crash scene should be ready to stop; Alabama’s move-over law requires motorists to change lanes when it is safe, or slow down, for stopped emergency and service vehicles.
What we know
- When: Late Monday morning, Oct. 5, 2026.
- Where: Alabama 21 near Black’s Loop Road, about a mile south of Beatrice in Monroe County.
- Vehicles: A Mazda 3 and a Ford F-150 pickup truck.
- Killed: Ricky J. York, 68, of Evergreen, a passenger in the Mazda.
- Injured: Sherry D. York, 65, of Evergreen, the Mazda’s driver; and Jeffrey L. Gandy, 63, of Elberta, the pickup driver.
- Investigating agency: ALEA Highway Patrol Division.
South AL News will provide updates if ALEA releases additional information about the cause of the crash.
