A 34-year-old Fairfield woman was killed in a hit-and-run in Bessemer on Monday night, and the driver who hit her has not been found. Arkeisha Rena Allen was pronounced dead at 9:08 p.m. in the 1300 block of Fourth Avenue S.W., and the search for the person responsible is now the focus of an active investigation.
The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as Allen and confirmed she lived in Fairfield, according to AL.com. Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates said the driver who struck Allen left the scene, the outlet reported. WVTM 13 reported that the coroner’s office placed the incident near Mitchell Manor and Deb’s Hot Dogs on Fourth Avenue S.W., and that the coroner’s office did not specify whether Allen was in the roadway when she was struck.
Bessemer Police Investigating Circumstances of Allen’s Death
Bessemer police are investigating the circumstances surrounding Allen’s death, per WVTM 13. An investigation remains underway as authorities work to determine how the collision occurred and identify the vehicle and driver involved, the station’s report indicates.
Monday’s death adds to a troubling pattern of pedestrian fatalities on Bessemer streets in recent years. In July 2023, a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle and killed on a Wednesday evening, according to the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office, as reported by WBRC. In that case, the vehicle came to a stop after the collision and the driver fled on foot, the coroner’s office told WBRC, which identified the victim as 48-year-old Tomeik Keyshun Mosley of Birmingham.
A Different Outcome in an Earlier Bessemer Crash
Not every Bessemer pedestrian crash has ended with a driver disappearing. In a separate fatal crash reported by CBS 42, 44-year-old Jesse Thompson Nance was struck in the 1800 block of Fourth Avenue S.W. and later died at UAB Hospital. In that instance, the driver who struck Nance remained at the scene and reported the crash to Bessemer police, according to the station.
Alabama law, under Code of Alabama Section 32-10-2, requires a driver involved in an accident causing injury or death to provide their name, address, and vehicle registration number at the scene, according to the Alabama Legislature. No suspect, vehicle, or arrest has been publicly identified in Allen’s death as the investigation continues.
