Alabama State Troopers have released the names of the drivers involved in a chain-reaction wreck on Highway 112 in Baldwin County that claimed the life of a Florida firefighter and a motorcyclist earlier this week.
Investigators say the crash began when a motorcycle traveling west on Highway 112 collided with an eastbound log truck driven by 52-year-old Patrick Bankester of Bay Minette. As emergency crews and troopers worked the scene of that initial collision, a second log truck, driven by 59-year-old Clifton Harrison of Mobile, approached and drove through the crash site. Troopers say Harrison’s truck struck two unoccupied vehicles that were already parked at the scene before leaving the roadway and striking District Fire Chief Dwain Bradshaw, who was working to help at the site of the first crash.
Bradshaw was airlifted to Sacred Heart Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. He served as a volunteer with the Bellview Fire Station and was well known in the nearby community of Beulah, where the flag was lowered to half-staff in his honor following news of his death.
The name of the motorcyclist killed in the initial collision has not been released.
Escambia County, Florida administrator Janice Gilley issued a statement honoring Bradshaw following the crash. “The Escambia family lost a true hero and dedicated public servant today,” the statement read in part. “Our hearts go out to Dwain Bradshaw’s family, loved ones and all of the men and women of Escambia County Fire Rescue who are grieving the loss of their colleague and friend.”
Neighbors who live near the crash site on Highway 112 described a harrowing scene that stretched on for hours as investigators worked to piece together what happened. One nearby resident, Donna Nelson, said watching the aftermath unfold outside her home left her shaken. She called the loss of two lives in the span of one crash “senseless,” adding that the deaths of both men have weighed heavily on the small community along the highway.
Alabama State Troopers continue to investigate both fatal collisions. Authorities have not said whether any charges are expected to be filed in connection with either crash. Anyone with additional information about the wreck is asked to contact state troopers.
The stretch of Highway 112 where the crash occurred is frequently used by logging trucks traveling between timber operations in Baldwin County, and residents along the corridor have long raised concerns about the mix of heavy commercial traffic with regular passenger vehicles and motorcycles on the rural two-lane road.