By Jeff Devine, Dale County Chronicle
PIKE COUNTY–Four people lost their lives late Friday night in a single-vehicle wreck in Pike County after the car they were traveling in left the roadway during an attempt to evade law enforcement, state investigators said.
The crash occurred at about 11:57 p.m. Friday along Pike County Road 6628 near County Road 6627, roughly nine miles east of Banks, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Highway Patrol Division.
Troopers said the vehicle, a 2022 Hyundai Elantra driven by 27-year-old Tykevious D. Russaw of Eufaula, left the roadway and struck a tree. Russaw and three passengers were pronounced dead at the scene.
Two of the passengers — 27-year-old Robert D. Hall and a 17-year-old — were not wearing seat belts and were ejected from the vehicle, officials said. Quamay R. Richardson, 24, also of Clayton, was not ejected but died at the scene.
According to state troopers, the crash followed an attempt by Russaw to evade a trooper, though investigators have not released details on what prompted the initial pursuit. Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the wreck.
No additional information was available on Saturday, and officials have asked anyone with relevant information to come forward as the inquiry remains ongoing.
This collision marks one of the deadliest traffic incidents in the region this year and underscores ongoing concerns about the dangers of high-speed pursuits and vehicle safety restraints. Authorities remind everyone of the importance of always wearing a seatbelt while traveling in a motor vehicle.
