A two-vehicle crash on Interstate 10 near Grand Bay left one person dead and four others injured early Wednesday morning, according to Alabama State Troopers. The wreck occurred just after 2:40 a.m. at the 3.5 mile marker, roughly 12 miles west of Mobile.
Troopers say a van sideswiped a tractor-trailer, ran off the roadway and overturned. A 61-year-old passenger in the van was ejected during the crash and was pronounced dead at the scene. The van’s driver and three additional passengers were transported to area hospitals for treatment of injuries sustained in the collision. The driver of the tractor-trailer was not hurt.
Investigators noted that none of the occupants of the van were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash, a detail troopers say is significant in cases involving ejection and severe injury. Alabama State Troopers continue to stress the importance of seatbelt use on the state’s interstates, particularly on stretches like I-10 near Grand Bay where speeds are high and traffic includes a steady mix of passenger vehicles and commercial trucks.
The stretch of I-10 near Grand Bay is a heavily traveled corridor connecting Mobile to Mississippi and the broader Gulf Coast, carrying significant commercial truck traffic overnight. Early-morning hours on that stretch have seen a number of serious wrecks over the years, often involving fatigue, reduced visibility or vehicles crossing into oncoming lanes.
State troopers have not indicated whether charges are expected to be filed in connection with the crash. The circumstances that led the van to sideswipe the tractor-trailer remain under investigation, and troopers are continuing to gather information about the sequence of events leading up to the collision.
Traffic fatalities along the I-10 corridor in Mobile County continue to draw attention from local safety advocates, who point to the stretch’s mix of high speeds, heavy truck traffic and periodic congestion as factors that can turn routine crashes into fatal ones. Troopers routinely patrol the corridor and have urged drivers to slow down, maintain safe following distances and always wear seatbelts, particularly during overnight hours when visibility is reduced and fatigue is more common among drivers.
No further details about the crash have been released as the investigation continues.