HALEYVILLE, AL. (THECOUNT) — Alabama man, Ethan Blake Mitchell, has been identified as the 22-year-old killed near Haleyville early Sunday morning.
Mitchell of Moulton, was driving a 2019 Ford F-250 northbound on Alabama 195 when the vehicle ran off the roadway and struck multiple trees at approximately 2:09 a.m. on December 7, 2025.
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The crash occurred near the 34-mile marker, about eight miles east of Haleyville. Mitchell was not wearing a seat belt and was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency responders.
Troopers with ALEA’s Highway Patrol Division are investigating the single-vehicle incident. No other vehicles or individuals were involved.
Further details, including possible contributing factors, have not been released as the investigation continues.
This crash adds to Alabama’s troubling traffic safety record. According to the Alabama Department of Transportation’s 2024 Crash Facts report, nearly 60 percent of all traffic fatalities in the state involved occupants not wearing seat belts. Alabama has one of the highest traffic fatality rates in the nation, with 21.3 deaths per 100,000 residents—second only to Mississippi and more than double the national average of 11.6.
In 2022, ALEA troopers investigated 31,990 traffic crashes statewide, resulting in 932 fatalities across 853 fatal incidents. Over half of those deadly crashes—52 percent—occurred during nighttime hours, including early morning darkness like the time of Mitchell’s crash.
Recent years have shown some improvement. Alabama recorded fewer traffic deaths in 2023 than in prior years, marking the second consecutive annual decline. That trend continued into 2025, with a 50 percent drop in Memorial Day weekend fatalities—from six in 2024 to three in 2025. ALEA’s “101 Days of Summer Safety” campaign, which includes increased patrols and public education on seat belt use and impaired driving, is credited with helping reduce deaths.
Still, rural roads like Alabama 195 remain dangerous. The University of Alabama’s Center for Advanced Public Safety reports that rural crashes account for a disproportionate share of fatalities due to higher speeds, limited lighting, and fewer safety barriers. Single-vehicle run-off-the-road crashes, like this one, are among the most common types in such areas.
ALEA continues year-round enforcement and education efforts, including holiday safety campaigns, to address top causes of fatal crashes: speeding, distracted driving, impairment, and failure to use restraints. Statewide, a traffic crash occurs every 3 minutes and 55 seconds, and a fatality happens roughly every 8 hours and 53 minutes.
As investigators work to determine what caused Mitchell’s truck to leave the road, ALEA urges all drivers to wear seat belts, stay focused, and drive sober—simple actions that save lives and help sustain Alabama’s progress toward safer roads.
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Published: December 7, 2025