Jesse Southard died after an SUV driven by April Ballard, who also died, collided head-on into his sedan on Interstate 65 in Alabama
Credit: GoFundMe (2)
NEED TO KNOW
- College student Jesse Southard died in a wrong-way crash after an SUV driven by April Ballard, a nurse and mother of three, collided into his sedan on Interstate 65 in Alabama
- Southard’s loved ones said that the college freshman’s death came just one day after his 20th birthday
- Ballard, who also died, was described as a “loving mother”
An Alabama college student was killed in a horrific wrong-way crash just one day after his 20th birthday.
On Friday, April 24, student Jesse Southard and nurse April Ballard were both fatally injured when an SUV driven by Ballard, 36, collided head-on into a sedan driven by Southard, 20, on Interstate 65 in Pelham, Ala., around 2:15 a.m. local time, the Shelby County Coroner's Office confirmed.
WBRC reported that Ballard's vehicle was traveling southbound in the northbound lane at the time of the crash and that Shelby County Coroner Lina Evans said her office isn’t ruling out drunken driving.
“It's believed that alcohol and speed are going to be a factor in the crash,” Evans said. “People need to be aware of their surroundings at all times.”
Credit: GoFundMe
PEOPLE reached out to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Highway Patrol, which is investigating the cause of the wreck, the Shelby County Coroner’s Office and Shelby County Sheriff’s Office for additional information on Sunday, April 26, but did not receive immediate responses.
According to a GoFundMe created by Southard's loved ones, the crash occurred just one day after the college freshman's 20th birthday.
Credit: GoFundMe
“The suddenness of Jesse's passing has left his family heartbroken,” Emily Victoria wrote on the fundraiser, which is raising money for Southard's family and his funeral expenses. “Jesse was known for his kindness, unique sense of humor, and genuine altruism. He was happiest helping others, blasting music, and working on his many hands-on projects.”
She added of Southard, who is from Birmingham: “His loss is deeply felt by his parents, Jonathan and Leah, his brother Zach, and his entire extended family, including grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.”
Meanwhile, Ballard, who is from Leeds, was described by her loved ones as a “loving mother” to three children — Lily, 15, Asher, 13, and Piper, 4 — who are now in the care of their grandmother.
“The first thing anyone could tell you about April is that she had the most generous and golden heart,” Chanley Beacham wrote on GoFundMe. “She would be there any way she could for her friends, family, or even a stranger. April was hilarious, kind, nurturing, a hard-working nurse, loyal, forgiving, uplifting, and truly beautiful inside and out.”
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