No charges yet in 4-car crash that claimed life

A traffic report obtained Friday by The Star-News shows the driver in a March crash that claimed the life of a Walmart employee was traveling at least 100 mph when he struck her car.

The four-vehicle crash began when Linda Rich Knight hit two deer, causing her car to become disabled in the northbound lane of Ala. Hwy. 55. Ellen Kelley of Andalusia stopped to assist Knight. She and another witness stated that all the vehicles had their flashers on and that they were using flashlights to try and warn other drivers of the disabled car.

According to the report, “Vehicle one – driven by Wyatt Sexton of McKenzie – was traveling at a very high rate of speed. (His) speedometer was stuck on 100 mph and witnesses statements (confirmed this) and hit Knight head-on, spinning her car and projecting her from the vehicle. Sexton then rear-ended Kelly spinning (her car) out of the way. Sexton then slid across the left side of a parked vehicle. He then went off the right side of the roadway into the tree line.

“He did not have any brake marks,” the report read.

The report stated that a traffic homicide investigation is pending, which means it remains unknown if charges will be filed. A search of local court records did not reveal any new information.

Knight, who would have turned 48 the day after accident, was on her way to work as a customer service manager at the Andalusia Walmart when the accident occurred.