Gulf Shores police are continuing to investigate the death of a 39-year-old woman who fell from a moving vehicle in late June, and detectives are appealing directly to the public for information that could help them determine exactly what happened.
What Investigators Have Released
At approximately 1 a.m. on June 25, 2026, first responders were dispatched to the 2000 block of Gulf Shores Parkway after receiving a report of an injured person. When crews arrived, they found Jaclyn Marie Chapman, 39, of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, suffering from serious injuries.
Chapman was treated at the scene before being transported to a hospital for emergency care. Despite lifesaving efforts by medical personnel, she later died of her injuries.
Investigators subsequently determined that Chapman’s injuries had occurred only minutes earlier, and not at the location where she was found. According to the Gulf Shores Police Department, she was riding as a passenger and fell from a moving vehicle in the 11000 block of West Fort Morgan Road.
The Investigation Remains Active
Police have not released additional details about the circumstances surrounding the fall, including how the vehicle came to be traveling on West Fort Morgan Road, who else was inside, or what preceded the incident. The department has characterized the case as an active investigation, with detectives still working to establish a complete timeline.
The gap between the two locations is significant to the investigation. Emergency crews were called to Gulf Shores Parkway, but the injuries were sustained roughly ten miles away on West Fort Morgan Road, which means the vehicle traveled a meaningful distance between the fall and the point at which help was summoned.
How to Help
The Gulf Shores Police Department is asking anyone who witnessed the incident, saw the vehicle, or has any information that could assist investigators to make contact.
- Phone: (251) 968-2431
- Email: gspdpio@gulfshoresal.gov
Investigators have emphasized that even seemingly minor details can prove significant. Anyone who was traveling on West Fort Morgan Road or Gulf Shores Parkway in the early morning hours of June 25, or who may have dashcam or home security footage from that area and time, is encouraged to reach out.
The Corridor Involved
West Fort Morgan Road, designated as State Route 180, is the long two-lane highway that runs west from Gulf Shores out along the Fort Morgan peninsula toward the historic fort and the ferry landing at Mobile Point. It is a narrow, largely rural corridor lined with beach houses, dune scrub and stretches with little to no lighting. Traffic thins considerably at night. Those characteristics can make an overnight incident difficult to reconstruct, because there are fewer potential witnesses and fewer fixed cameras than there would be on a commercial strip.
Gulf Shores Parkway, by contrast, is the primary north-south artery through the city, carrying the bulk of resident and visitor traffic.
A Statement From the Department
In releasing information about the case, the police department extended condolences to those affected.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones affected by this tragic event,” the statement read. “We extend our deepest condolences during this difficult time.”
Summer Traffic on the Peninsula
The incident occurred at the height of the summer season, when the Fort Morgan peninsula sees a sharp seasonal increase in vehicle traffic from visitors renting beach homes along the corridor. Local officials have long noted that Route 180 presents particular challenges: it is heavily traveled but has limited shoulders, few turning lanes, and long unlit stretches between developments.
What Happens Next
Police have not indicated whether any charges are anticipated, and no arrests have been announced. Investigations of this nature typically involve accident reconstruction, vehicle examination, interviews with anyone present, and forensic review, all of which can take weeks to complete.
Until then, the department’s request stands. Anyone with knowledge of the events of the early morning of June 25 in Gulf Shores is urged to contact investigators at the number or email address listed above. Information may be provided directly to the department, and those with concerns about coming forward are encouraged to call and discuss their options with detectives.