BIRMINGHAM — A Calera man died shortly before midnight on Thanksgiving when the car he was driving hit a tractor-trailer rig parked on the side of the interstate, according to the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office.
Rodney Leroy Hawkins Jr., 26, was killed in the crash near Ensley on I-59/20.
“The decedent was the driver and lone occupant of a Dodge Challenger traveling north on Interstate 59/20 near Avenue I, Ensley,” Deputy Coroner Bill Yates stated. “For unknown reason(s) the decedent’s vehicle left the travel lanes where it struck a tractor trailer that was parked on the shoulder of the roadway. The cause and circumstances surrounding the wreck are being investigated by the Birmingham Police Department.”