From staff reports
BIRMINGHAM – Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call on Sunday night that led them to an intoxicated man, his flipped Monte Carlo and a dead wife.
Around 5 a.m. on Sunday, police responded to investigate a report of a suspicious person in the 1600 block of Pratt Highway in Birmingham. Upon arrival, authorities found 27-year-old Eshmael Munashe Patterson walking down the road.
The Northeastern Jefferson County man told deputies that he had been in a car accident that left his wife, Tanya Denise Blakely, trapped in the vehicle.
Once police located the 2003 Monte Carlo roughly 35 feet deep in a ravine, Blakely had passed away in the back seat. Blakely, 27, was found in the vehicle, which had been flipped and came to rest on the roof.
Patterson was taken to the hospital, where a blood test indicated his blood alcohol content was significantly over the limit for driving. He was questioned by detectives and admitted to driving the car and drinking during the night.
Patterson was arrested and charged with Criminally Negligent Homicide and Reckless Manslaughter. He posted $10,000 bond and was released from jail.