“If it weren’t for Jesus Christ, we would have all blown up,” said McKenzie police chief

Clint Reaves, who responded to the Tuesday 18-wheeler accident in Butler County that severely injured an Andalusia man.

The accident occurred shortly after noon at the intersection of U.S. Hwy. 31 and Alabama Hwy. 55 in McKenzine.

Reaves, who witnessed the accident, said Tony Moore, of Andalusia, was traveling southbound behind a log truck on U.S. Hwy. 31 while operating a Gitty-Up-N-Go tanker truck, carrying fuel.

Moore signaled to make a right-hand turn, Reaves said.

“At the same time, a J.B. Hunt freightliner was at the intersection of 31 and 55,” Reaves said. “That driver saw the log truck making the right turn but not the tanker. He had part of his trailer blocking both the southbound lanes of 31. At the same time, Moore got over into the left lane to pass the log truck. He turned to keep from hitting the J.B. Hunt truck. He turned it sideways, and his trailer got sideways, and he flipped twice.”

The freightliner was driven by Bobbi Carroll from Kinston.

Reaves said he had been in law enforcement for the past 25 years and said he had “never been so scared in his life.”

“The gas fumes were so strong; gas was pouring out, and Moore was pinned in,” he said. “A fireman stopped and went with me, and we kept pulling. Moore got up on his feet, and it took all we could do to tote him.”

Reaves said they were finally able to free Moore and move him away from the wreckage. He was then transported to Georgiana Hospital and later transferred to a Montgomery trauma center.

“If it weren’t for Jesus Christ, we would have all blown up,” he said. “It was an act of God.”

Reaves said Carroll is being charged with failure to yield the right-of-way pending further investigation.