Authorities identify Huntsville man killed on I-65 after his vehicle became disabled
Authorities have released the identity of the Huntsville man killed Tuesday afternoon in an Interstate 65 accident that apparently occurred after his vehicle became disabled.
The accident caused traffic congestion on I-65 and I-565 into the night.
Morgan County Coroner Jeff Chunn said he pronounced Woodrow Allen William, 78, dead at the scene. Chunn said the cause of death was blunt force trauma.
The accident occurred just south of the Interstate 65 Tennessee River Bridge. Decatur police were called to the scene about 2:15 p.m., police spokeswoman Irene Cardenas-Martinez said.
William apparently had pulled over on the shoulder due to a flat tire and was struck by a box truck after getting out of his car to check the tire, Cardenas-Martinez said.
Both southbound lanes of I-65 were closed when DPD arrived. The Morgan County Sheriff’s Office advised motorists to use alternate routes, resulting in heavy traffic on U.S 31/Sixth Avenue in Decatur.
One southbound lane was reopened around 3:45 p.m., Cardenas-Martinez said, and the other reopened a little after 8 p.m.
Cardenas-Martinez said the reason the lanes were closed for so long is because “there’s a lot of moving parts to it. You want to get everyone off the scene safely.”
