By By Sherry Digmon
New Years Eve and Day were relatively accident-free on Escambia County highways, but the days before and after were rife with accidents, two of which claimed four lives.
Two people died on I-65 Sunday afternoon. Two were killed Tuesday morning near Flomaton.
Alabama State Trooper Jimmy Dean responded to the Tuesday call on Highway 113 north of Flomaton.
Blake Croley, 16, of Century, and an unidentified woman were killed when their vehicles collided head-on. The name of the woman, possibly a resident of Santa Rosa County, Fla., had not been released Tuesday evening pending notification of next of kin.
Croley was southbound on 113 and apparently drifted into the northbound lane. The mirror on the driver's side of Croley's vehicle grazed the back part of an 18-wheeler that was northbound.
The woman was traveling behind the 18-wheeler. Her vehicle and Croley's vehicle collided head-on at a combined impact of about 130 miles per hour. Neither one braked.
Dean said the accident is still under investigation.
Last week, two people were transported by helicopter to Baptist Hospital in Pensacola, following separate accidents.
Four Perdido teenagers were injured in a one-vehicle accident Wednesday, Dec. 29, according to a spokesman for the Evergreen state trooper station.
Tabitha Goins was driving a 1996 Ford when the accident occurred on Ewing Drive at 5:05 p.m.
Injured were Goins, 15, Stacey Goins, 13, Ashelynn Hadley, 14, and Cecilia Harrison, 14.
All four were transported to Atmore Community Hospital. Tabitha Goins was later transferred by BaptistFlight to Baptist.
The other three teens were treated and released at ACH.
By Tuesday, Goins had been discharged from Baptist.
Cindy Amos Byrd was also taken by BaptistFlight to Baptist following a one-vehicle accident Thursday, Dec. 30.
Byrd was driving a 1987 Chevrolet when the accident happened about 4:30 p.m. on Carver Avenue.
She too had been released by Tuesday morning.
The only accident with injury occurred in the early hours of the new year.
Joey Kelley was injured in a one-vehicle accident about 1:25 a.m. New Years Day on County Road 1. He was admitted to Atmore Community Hospital for 23-hour observation and released.
The state trooper spokesman said several minor accidents without injuries occurred last week and over the weekend.