A 46-year-old Birmingham man, identified by the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office as Cortney Jones, died after a vehicle struck him while he was riding an electric scooter across Arkadelphia Road at Eighth Avenue West in west Birmingham early Saturday, Oct. 31. The reports cited below differ on the spelling of his middle name and the time of the crash.
Reports Differ on Crash Details
According to WBRC, the coroner’s office listed the victim’s name as Cortney Amarai Jones; AL.com spelled his middle name Amari. Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates told AL.com that Jones was riding his scooter and crossing the road when a vehicle struck him. AL.com also reported that the driver stopped and called 911.
The accounts also differ on the crash time: WBRC reported 2:05 a.m., while AL.com reported 2:25 a.m. and said Jones was pronounced dead at the scene. Both reports placed the crash at Arkadelphia Road and Eighth Avenue West.
Investigation Remains Open
According to WVTM 13, Birmingham police are investigating. The report said no further details about potential charges or the driver’s identity had been released. The reports do not specify how Jones was crossing the road or whether he was in a crosswalk.
Regional transportation context
The Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham says Birmingham adopted a Complete Streets Policy in 2018 and that 36 miles of the envisioned 850-mile B-ACTIVE regional network have been constructed. Those regional figures do not establish what facilities are present on Arkadelphia Road or identify planned improvements to that corridor.
AL.com reported that Jones’s niece described him as a hardworking family man who loved spending time with loved ones and cooking for them. “He was the life of the party,” she said.
