THOMASVILLE, ALA. (THECOUNT) — Thomasville police officer, Officer Dallas Hinton, was killed early Wednesday morning when his patrol vehicle struck the back of an 18-wheel tractor-trailer on U.S. Highway 43 within the city limits, Thomasville Police Chief Mitchell Stuckey confirmed. Hinton, a two-year veteran of the department and former U.S. Marine, had recently become engaged and had purchased a home in the area.
Hinton was 25 years old.
|
Advertisement |
According to the Thomasville Police Department, the crash occurred at approximately 4:45 a.m. on Highway 43 within the city limits. Both Hinton’s vehicle and the tractor-trailer were traveling northbound at the time of the collision. Emergency responders from Thomasville Fire and the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office assisted at the scene. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Highway Patrol Division is investigating the incident. All lanes of U.S. 43 were reopened before noon Wednesday after the accident scene was cleared.
Chief Stuckey described Hinton as “a fine officer for the department” and asked the community for prayers and support. In a written statement, Stuckey said: “Officer Hinton leaves behind a fiancé, two sisters, a father and many fellow brothers and sisters in law enforcement. He will be greatly missed by all. Please keep the Hinton family and your local law enforcement officers in your prayers as we all mourn this tragic loss.”
Hinton had served with the Thomasville Police Department for approximately two years. Prior to joining law enforcement, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps and was honorably discharged. He became engaged in March and had recently bought a home in the area, according to the chief. He is survived by his fiancée, Brandi McKnight, his two sisters, father, and extended family, as well as colleagues throughout the law enforcement community.
Thomasville is a city in Clarke County in the southwestern portion of Alabama, situated in the northeastern corner of the county approximately 97 miles north of Mobile and roughly 100 miles southwest of Birmingham. With a population of approximately 3,650 as of the 2020 census, Thomasville is the largest city in Clarke County and serves as a commercial hub for the surrounding rural communities of southwest Alabama. U.S. Highway 43, the four-lane corridor that runs north-south through the city, connects Mobile County and Interstate 65 to the south with Interstate 59 to the north, and is the city’s primary artery for both local and through traffic.
Clarke County covers approximately 1,238 square miles in southwest Alabama between the Alabama and Tombigbee rivers. Grove Hill serves as the county seat. The county is sparsely populated, with a density of approximately 19 people per square mile, and its economy is rooted in timber, agriculture, and light manufacturing. Thomasville serves as the county’s primary commercial center.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Highway Patrol Division investigates all fatal crashes on Alabama state and federal highways. ALEA has not released additional details on the crash, including the identity or condition of the tractor-trailer’s driver, or whether any charges are anticipated.
The Thomasville Police Department is a small municipal agency serving a city of approximately 3,650 residents. The loss of a line-of-duty officer represents a significant blow to a department of this size. Chief Stuckey’s statement acknowledged the gravity of the loss and called on residents to support law enforcement officers and the Hinton family during their period of mourning. Rear-end crashes involving passenger vehicles and large commercial trucks are among the most deadly collision types on U.S. highways, frequently resulting in fatal injuries to the occupants of the smaller vehicle. The National Safety Council has identified tractor-trailer collisions as a significant contributor to law enforcement line-of-duty traffic deaths nationally.
The approximate location of the fatal crash on U.S. Highway 43 in Thomasville can be viewed on Google Maps (approximate).
DEVELOPING::