PELHAM, AL, (April 24, 2026) – Two people were killed early Friday morning in a wrong-way crash on Interstate 65 in Pelham, according to the Shelby County Coroner’s Office.
One of the victims was identified as 20-year-old Jesse Southard of Birmingham.
Authorities said the crash occurred at approximately 2:15 a.m. when a Ford Explorer traveling southbound in the northbound lanes of I-65 collided head-on with a Mazda 3 driven by Southard.
Southard was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Ford Explorer also sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead.
A fundraiser has been established to assist Southard’s family during this difficult time.
The crash remains under investigation.
