A 59-year-old Elmore County man was killed Thursday afternoon when his SUV left Interstate 65, struck a sign post and cable barrier, and overturned near Jemison, throwing him from the vehicle. Benjamin N. Gross was pronounced dead at the scene, according to officials.
The crash happened at about 1:15 p.m. on I-65 near mile marker 223, roughly two miles northeast of Jemison in Chilton County, according to the Montgomery Advertiser. Gross was driving a 2012 Mazda CX-7 that left the roadway before striking the sign post and cable barrier and flipping over, the newspaper reported, citing Cpl. Adric Reed, a spokesman for the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.
Gross was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash and was ejected from the vehicle, the Advertiser’s report states. He died at the scene of the crash.
Highway Patrol Still Investigating
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. ALEA’s Highway Patrol Division is investigating the cause of the crash, according to WSFA.
As first reported by WVTM 13, officials had not released additional details about the crash at the time of publication.
