GRIMES: 07:14 AM Ozark – Dale County 911 dispatched a three vehicle accident, Dale County Road 112 ( Napier Field Road ) and Dale County Road 10 ( goes to Michelin ).
The accident is reported to be a three vehicle accident with injuries.
ECHO Rescue staged in Pinckard, Napier Field Volunteer Fire, Midland City Police responded. Midland City Police is contracted with the Town of Grimes for thier law enforcement and in charge of the accident invesigation.
Anyone with scene pictures TEXT RICKEY 334-790-1729.
Houston County Sheriffs pursued a vehicle and ended up using the PIT maneuver to stop the vehicle, leading to a crash on Eddins Road.
Reports say a K-9 unit bit the suspect.
Emergency units are rolling.
The vehicle is in the front yard of a residence, and moderate damage is reported. The gray Chrysler has a Florida tag.
A female was dropped off before the vehicle was wrecked. Current reports say sheriffs detained her and are bringing her to the crash site.
ALABAMA: (Houston, Henry, Dale Counties) The Alabama Coroner’s Training Commission, authorized by the Alabama Legislature in Code of Alabama 11-5-31, has sent out warning letters to Coroners across the state.
The members of the Alabama Coroner’s Training Commission were appointed and formed within 60 days of April 25, 2006. By Alabama Law, the Training Commission was mandated to “develop and periodically revise a list of approved training programs for meeting the minimum standard training for coroners and their designated assistants.”
“Effective March 1, 2007, any coroner, deputy coroner, or any person authorized to officially represent the county coroner shall complete 12 hours of training, approved by the commission, during each calendar year he or she serves as coroner.”
Letters were sent to Houston County Coroner Robert Byrd, who has been Coroner since 1987; Henry County Coroner Derek Wright, who has been Coroner for 20 years; and Dale County Coroner John Cawley, who is in his first term as Coroner.
Dale County Coroner John Cawley has his 12 hours and sent the documentation, prior to now, to the Chairman of the Coroner’s Training Commission, which is Baldwin County Coroner Brian Pierce. That issue was a mistake on the part of the Alabama Coroner’s Training Commission. Reports are Pierce had missed the email and Cawley has been in compliance long before the Alabama Coroner’s Training Commission letter.
Henry County Coroner Derek Wright has completed the required training of the 12 hours. The documentation was at the Henry County Probate/County Commission Office. It had not been forwarded to the Alabama Coroner’s Training Commission, but has been handled now. Wright is in compliance.
Houston County Coroner Robert Byrd, elected in 1987, stated to WDHN that he was sent an email in February and saw it last week asking if he had his certificate, but he did not have one. Byrd told WDHN he did not know what is was or what to do, and that he had never had to have training. Robert Byrd told WDHN that he does continuing education as a funeral director and for insurance.
According to some involved in the Alabama Coroner’s Association there has been discussion of Houston County Coroner Robert Byrd not being involved in the Coroner Association and never having any continuing education courses. These discussions have taken place at Continuing Education Classes over the past.
The training for a funeral director is 8 hours every two years, while a Coroner is 12 hours every calender year. Being a funeral director is not a qualification to be Coroner and both are two distinctively different roles. According to sources ,the continuing education as a funeral director does not fulfill the requirements of the Alabama Coroner’s Training Commission.
Geneva County Coroner Donny Adkinson works with a funeral home. Dale County Coroner John Cawley works and co-owns a funeral home. Henry County Coroner Derek Wright owns a funeral home. All three attended the training course put on by the Alabama Coroner’s Training Commission held in Enterprise.
Coffee County Coroner Arnold Woodham, not in the funeral home business, attended the training course in Enterprise that was put on by the Alabama Coroner Training Commission. Both Woodham and Cawley are in their first term as Coroner and were aware of the required training requirements.
Alabama Law, 11-5-31 (g) reads “A coroner or his designated assistant who fails to complete minimum annual in-service training required by this article may be suspended from office, without pay, by the Governor for not more than 90 days. At the end of the suspension period, the Governor may continue the suspension of the coroner and his or her designated assistants until he or she completes the annual minimum in-service training.
According to information, Houston County Coroner Robert Byrd has said, before this issue, that he intends to retire and not seek re-election. Election year is in 2026 and the new Coroner would take office in January 2027. There has been no mention of what Coroner Robert Byrd’s intentions will be with the required training this year and in 2026 with him planning on retiring. If he plans to finish his term, then Byrd has until May to obtain the required 12 hours of continuing education for 2025. Then again 12 hours in 2026.
Being Coroner is 24 hours a day, 7 days per week, on call duty. No one ever makes appointments to die, so all calls are sudden and without notice. Byrd’s day Saturday began with a traffic death, which occurred at 5:27 AM. Followed by, later in the morning on Saturday, with an apparent self inflicted gunshot death. At age 68, Byrd has served since 1987; one grows tired of always being on call, which is in addition to his funeral home. With the demands of both leave little family and grandchildren time.
NOTHING WRITTEN IS INTENDED TO BE CRITICAL OF HOUSTON COUNTY CORONER ROBERT BYRD. IT IS JUST FACTUAL INFORMATION S RSN KNOWS IT TO BE. ALSO THERE IS NO SPECULATION THAT BYRD WILL OR WILL NOT RETIRE BEFORE HIS TERM ENDS OR COMPLETE THE REQUIRED 24 HOURS TRAINING FOR HIS LAST TWO YEAR IN OFFICE. (12 HOURS EACH YEAR).
RSN has not reached out to Coroner Byrd to see his intentions. His comments were from WDHN who broke this story.
DOTHAN: On Sunday Dothan 911 dispatched Dothan Fire Department, Pilcher Ambulance and Dothan Police Department to a structure fire at Stone Creek Landing, South Park Avenue and Taylor Road.
The pool house and community room caught fire. Neighbors saw what was first thought as fog, As they looked closer it was quickly determined the building was on fire.
Neighbors said they heard a loud bang about 45 minutes before the fire was spotted. On the scene the preliminary information is they felt the cause of the fire was a lightning strike. That is NOT OFFICIAL from Dothan Fire Department.
WEBB: 5:27 AM Multiple emergency units are on the scene of a passenger vehicle versus a semi truck in the 6000 block of Highway 52 East in Webb. The 6000 block is just east of Furnie Folks Road intersection with Highway 52.
The accident involves a small passenger car.
Webb Volunteer Fire, Webb Police, Ashford Rescue, Houston County Sheriff Department responded. When emergency units arrived they found one occupant of the passenger car deceased on the scene.
Webb Volunteer Fire Department requested mutual aid assistance from Dothan Fire Department Technical Rescue to assist with extrication on the scene.
7:23 AM Houston County Coroner Robert Byrd is on the scene.
Highway 52 east of Furnie Folks Road is completely closed. Houston County Sheriff Deputies are assisting with traffic control. A certified Reserve Houston County Sheriff Deputy is assisting. Reserve Deputies work for FREE.
Ferguson Wrecker has their heavy duty wreckers on the scene assisting.
Webb Police were assisted in the investigation by ALEA – Troopers.
NOTE: RSN is holding the scene pictures for a period of time. The family has been notified but we feel the scene pictures need to be held until authorities meet with the family.
The victim was identified as 21-year-old Reagan Colleen Brewer.
UPDATED @ 9:15 PM
RSN will not be posting scene photographs. Initially in the preliminary investigation it was thought the passenger car pulled from Furnie Folkes Road onto Highway 52 into the pathway of the east bound semi truck.
After investigating law enforcement officers spoke to the driver of the semi at the hospital, and the family’s LIVE 360 track, the passnger vehicle was wastbound on Highway 52. And the investigation reveals the passenger car apparently crossed the center line into the path of the semi.
RSN left the scene at 7:30 AM. Emergency units from Webb Volunteer Fire Department, Dothan Fire Department and Ferguson Wrecker worked until around 9:00 AM on the extrication from the accident.
Because of the severity of the damage from the vehicle RSN has made the decision not to post the wreck scene pictures.
The victim of the accident was a beautiful young lady who recently was married or engaged to be married. She lived around the Webb – Columbia area. And was on her way to work when the accident occured.
Prayers are with the family.
Ward Wilson Funeral Home will be announcing funeral arrangement at a later time.
HOUSTON COUNTY: This morning in Houston County District Court before the Honorable Judge Benjamin Lewis first appearance was held. In addition to first appearance bond hearings were held.
In the case State of Alabama vs. Victor Newman, a bond hearing was held. Newman is charged with Making A Terrorist Threat and is in the Houston County Jail currently under a no bond. Newman was arrested on February 25, 2025 and booked into the Houston County Jail.
Testimony revealed the law enforcement criminal investigator in charge of the case had received threats on his family. There was testimony that law enforcement had obtained a search warrant for the electronic devices of Newman, specifically his cell phone.
A hidden folder was later found on Newman’s phone, containing pictures of the Criminal Investigator’s residence and family.
The Criminal Investigator has received voice mail messages and text messages left on his phone threatening the Criminal Investigator’s family. The threats made stated they would kidnap members of their family, rape them and kill them.
Newman was not successful in getting a bond and remains in the Houston County Jail. Newman’s son is in the Houston County Jail for shooting into an occupied vehicle last week, Robbery in the first degree, and Attempted Assault in the first degree. He remains in the Houston County Jail under a no bond.
The case is still under investigation by law enforcement.
