MUSCLE SHOALS, AL, (April 12, 2026) – A Florence woman died following a hit-and-run crash in Muscle Shoals, and authorities have since arrested a suspect in connection with the incident.
According to the Muscle Shoals Police Department, officers responded to the 400 block of West Sixth Street on the night of April 12 after receiving reports of a pedestrian being struck.
Investigators said 67-year-old Barbara Ann Koontz was in the roadway attempting to retrieve a trampoline that had fallen from her Chevrolet 1500 when a speeding GMC 2500 Denali struck her as she tried to return to her vehicle.
Authorities reported that the driver briefly stopped to inspect the vehicle for damage before fleeing the scene.
Koontz was airlifted to Huntsville Hospital for emergency treatment but succumbed to her injuries shortly after arrival.
During the investigation, officers located the suspect vehicle abandoned in a hotel parking lot in Prattville. Following a multi-agency effort, 31-year-old Brett Wilson Black was arrested 11 days after the crash.
Black has been charged with criminally negligent homicide and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. He is currently being held in the Colbert County Jail on a $25,000 bond.
The Muscle Shoals Police Department continues to investigate the case.
