By Gary Lloyd
A Birmingham boy died late Thursday night after he and his mother were in a two-vehicle accident near Palmerdale.
Jefferson County Deputy Coroner Phillip Russell said Ryan Jase Collins, 1, was pronounced dead at 11:25 p.m. at Children’s of Alabama. Russell said the crash happened at 3:20 p.m. Thursday on Highway 79 at West Oak Drive in Palmerdale.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office’s investigation revealed that a Chrysler PT Cruiser was traveling north on the highway when it got slightly off the road. The driver over corrected and turned sideways across the highway and into the path of a Jeep Grand Cherokee, said Chief Deputy Randy Christian. The Jeep struck the PT Cruiser on its passenger side.
Each vehicle contained two occupants and all four were injured, Christian said. He said the child was riding in a car seat in the center of the back seat of the PT Cruiser. All four people were transported to area hospitals.
Christian said there appears to be no criminal activity involved and no charges are being considered.
“Life is really fragile and can change in the blink of an eye,” Christian said. “Our hearts and prayers are with the family of this young child. I cannot imagine the pain they are enduring.”
Contact Gary Lloyd at news@trussvilletribune.com and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.
