(BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala.) - State Troopers say the man driving a crane will face two counts of vehicular homicide charges after a deadly accident that backed up traffic for hours on Interstate 65 southbound Friday morning.
It happened around 7:30 a.m. this morning. Troopers say John Lopez, 36, of Theodore was driving a 1995 North America crane when he stopped near the very top of the General W.K. Wilson Jr. Bridge. That bridge is more familiarly called the "Dolly Parton" Bridge.
A Ford F-150 being driven by 74-year-old James Barber of Citronelle slammed into the back of the crane. Barber and the other passenger, 65-year-old Lorine Lilly Frazier, were both pronounced dead on the scene. Troopers say neither were wearing seatbelts.
Troopers believe that drugs factored into the accident, and that's why Lopez was taken into custody. The exact details remain under investigation, including why the crane came to a stop on the bridge.
Traffic was stopped for hours. It was 2:30 Friday afternoon before things were back to normal.
