By By Robbie Byrd, News Editor
At least three people are dead and three others injured following an accident yesterday morning on I-65 just north of Atmore.
While officials worked through the night to notify the victims' next of kin, the conditions of those thought to still be alive remained a mystery at several area hospitals.
At around 9:05 a.m., a small white 4-door car, whose type was undetermined at press time, was traveling south on I-65 just 6 miles north of the Atmore/Uriah exit, at the 63 mile marker, when it ran into the median, swerved across both lanes of traffic, hit a guardrail, flipped and crashed into the north south-bound corner of the Butler Street overpass, officials on the scene said.
When rescue officials arrived, three of the victims, all adults, were pronounced dead on the scene.
Emergency rescue workers began to then attempt to save the three other passengers in the car, at least one of them a two-year-old child.
Officials said that one female in her 20s was transported via Baptist LifeFlight to West Florida Medical Center. LifeFlight then returned to McDavid Volunteer Fire Department, just south of Atmore, and retrieved the two-year-old child. The child was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital.
SouthFlight, the helicopter transport service for the University of South Alabama Medical Center, also arrived on scene to transport another injured in the crash. However the person was transported by ambulance to Atmore Community Hospital and then transported to USA.
Officials with the Alabama State Troopers office are unsure on the cause of the accident, but are investigating. AST Sgt. Chris Williams said that the victims were believed to be from Louisiana, and that the two-year-old child claimed he was from New Orleans. Wiliams refused to release any further information pending notification of next of kin.
One of the victims that was declared dead on arrival was trapped inside the car and another was ejected from the vehicle.
Atmore Ambulance service responded with two ambulances and six personnel. Another ambulance from Escambia County (Fla.) was called, as well as Baptist LifeFlight and USA's SouthFlight, Poarch Fire Department and Police Department and the Escambia County Sheriff's Office.