Both drivers died in a head-on collision between a log truck and a small sedan on U.S. Highway 45 in Citronelle, authorities said, in a wreck that shut down the highway for much of the day and set a utility pole on fire.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said the southbound log truck and the northbound car collided headlight to headlight along the two-lane route near AL 17. The impact overturned a vehicle, closed U.S. 45 in both directions, and ignited a nearby utility pole that brought Alabama Power crews to the scene.
Victims identified
Family members identified the log truck driver as Gene Washington of Citronelle. ALEA later identified the sedan’s driver as 23-year-old Toby Nelson Menotti of Starkville, Mississippi.
Citronelle police officials said crews worked through the afternoon hoping to reopen at least one lane before rush hour; the highway was fully reopened by the next day once investigators finished documenting the scene.
Troopers continue to investigate what caused one or both vehicles to cross the centerline. Head-on collisions on rural two-lane highways remain among the deadliest crash types in south Alabama, where logging trucks are a constant presence on routes like U.S. 45.