Fatal wreck involving log truck still pending

Published 6:00 am Thursday, July 14, 2016

The case of a 69-year-old log truck driver involved in a wreck that killed a commercial van driver from Lacey’s Spring on U.S. 31 last year has not come before a Limestone County grand jury.

However, District Attorney Brian Jones said the case is still pending.

According to state court records, the driver, John Lawson Oden of Somerville, was not charged in connection with the Aug. 11 wreck on U.S. 31 at Huntsville-Browns Ferry Road, south of Athens.

The accident killed 68-year-old Clyde Paul Crawford, a van driver for Overnight Parts Alliance in Irondale.

Both Athens police and state troopers investigated because commercial vehicles were involved.

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Officials said Crawford’s van was eastbound on Huntsville-Browns Ferry when the southbound log truck struck his driver’s side at the intersection with 31. The impact caused the log truck to flip over, spilling dozens of logs onto the northbound lanes of 31. Limestone County Coroner Mike West declared Crawford dead at the scene. Oden, who had to be extricated from the cab of his truck, was initially listed in critical condition.

Witnesses at the scene told Athens police Oden ran a stoplight before his truck struck Crawford’s van. Oden was driving for Eva-based Bobby Collins Logging at the time of the wreck.

Grand jury will hear case

Although there have been no initial charges, Jones’ office will present the case to a grand jury at some point. The district attorney said when he took office in 2011 his office would present all fatal wreck cases to the grand jury. Out of fairness, he said he would let jurors, rather than his office, decide whether there is adequate evidence to charge anyone in cases of fatal wreck.