A Calera patrol officer spotted a vehicle speeding through an Interstate 65 construction zone at about 2:45 a.m. and began a pursuit. The chase ended after two tractor-trailer drivers blocked the southbound lanes with their rigs; the driver then braked, exited the interstate, stopped and was arrested.
According to cdllife.com, the officer activated lights and sirens, but the driver continued through the work zone. abc3340.com reported that the car traveled south, passing other vehicles recklessly and ignoring the patrol car’s signals. Units from Chilton County and Jemison were notified and preparing to assist farther down the interstate, the outlet reported.
Two Rigs, One Blockade
The two 18-wheelers traveled side by side at what cdllife.com described as equal speed, blocking both southbound lanes. The driver then braked, exited I-65, stopped and was arrested, according to the outlet. Backfire News reported that the car braked suddenly enough to produce a cloud of tire smoke.
Calera Police Chief David Hyche thanked the two truck drivers afterward, telling wbrc.com, “These two drivers took action and quite possibly prevented a tragedy.” Backfire News reports Hyche also credited the pair with helping catch the suspect before the driver could kill someone, and described truckers broadly as the backbone of the country's commerce.
What Police Haven't Said
The suspect's identity has not been released. As of October 21, Calera Police had not released charging paperwork, according to Backfire News. The department also had not disclosed the vehicle involved, its speed, the pursuit distance, which exit the driver used, or the identities of the truck drivers and their trucking companies, the outlet reported. It is also unclear whether dispatch, an officer or another driver asked the truckers to block the lanes. The driver is presumed innocent unless and until proven otherwise.
Timing of the incident itself is muddled across outlets. abc3340.com reported the pursuit happened early Sunday, October 18, while cdllife.com pinned the 2:45 a.m. start to Saturday, October 17 — a discrepancy neither report resolves.
A Tight Squeeze by Design
The pursuit took place on a stretch of I-65 through Calera with two lanes in each direction, according to Backfire News. That layout provides context for the trucks’ reported position across both southbound lanes; details about the exact spacing between the vehicles have not been disclosed.
The two-lane stretch is part of an area ALDOT is widening between Alabaster and Calera. The agency expects its $143 million project to open by spring 2028. In January, ALDOT News Hub said work was underway to add lanes between Exit 231 south of Calera and Exit 238 at Alabaster.
What Statewide Work-Zone Data Show
According to ALDOT, Alabama work-zone crashes in 2024 resulted in 15 fatalities and 527 injuries. Those statewide figures do not establish whether workers were present during the Calera pursuit or describe the risks or outcome of that incident.
A Police Video Invokes a Movie
The Calera Police Department posted a 15-second clip titled “Big Rigs, Big Assist” set to Jerry Reed's “East Bound and Down,” according to Backfire News. The song and title nod to 1977's Smokey and the Bandit, whose story paired a truck carrying Coors with Burt Reynolds's driver, the outlet noted.
