One person was killed in a crash on Interstate 65 Northbound in Birmingham, prompting police to shut down lanes for an investigation.
Details about the exact cause of the crash, the identity of the victim, and whether other vehicles were involved have not been released. The closure was reported by WBMA. It remains unclear which police division is leading the investigation or whether speed or seatbelt use played a role in the deadly wreck.
A Corridor With a History of Deadly Incidents
A separate, years-old case involving a 2022 hit-and-run that killed a pedestrian led to an arrest announced by Birmingham Police. In an October 1 report, Hoodline's earlier reporting said a man had been arrested in connection with the case. Authorities said the victim was walking in a travel lane when he was struck; his mother said he had run out of gas and was making his way along the roadside.
A spill involving calcium carbonate dust also led to an I-65 closure, according to a post from meteorologist James Spann on Facebook. The incident caused extensive traffic backups.
The Birmingham Closure
Interstate 65 passes through Birmingham, where police closed northbound lanes for an investigation.
A University of Alabama at Birmingham-affiliated engineering study in Birmingham discusses a 3-to-1 lane-drop configuration and work-zone impacts. The posted speed limit on I-65 reaches 70 miles per hour in Alabama, per National Speed Limits in Alabama.
Fatal Crashes Remain a Persistent Problem in Jefferson County
Jefferson County recorded 103 motor vehicle fatalities in 2024, following 114 in 2023 and 96 in 2022, according to Alabama Department of Transportation data cited by the Birmingham Personal Injury Lawyer legal research guide. That toll has persisted even as overall crash counts in the county declined, falling from 28,433 in 2022 to 26,354 in 2024 per the same analysis.
Statewide, Alabama recorded 967 traffic fatalities across more than 140,000 reported crashes in 2024, a slight drop from 975 deaths in 2023, according to data compiled by the Center for Advanced Public Safety at the University of Alabama and reported by ALDOT News Hub. Nearly 60 percent of vehicle occupants who died in Alabama crashes that year were not wearing seatbelts, Drive Safe Alabama reports, even though overall restraint use exceeded 96 percent statewide. The organization also notes that while 76 percent of all Alabama crashes happened on urban roads in 2024, rural routes accounted for 58 percent of the state's fatal collisions, a gap attributed to higher travel speeds and longer emergency response times in rural areas.
No further details have been released about the crash, including the identity of the victim or the circumstances that led to the fatal collision. Hoodline will continue to follow this story as more information becomes available.
