(Shelby County, Alabama — May 25, 2026) – A 16-year-old Alabaster resident was killed and three others injured, including a 14-year-old passenger, in a two-vehicle crash on Alabama Highway 119 near Hoover on Sunday afternoon, May 24, 2026. The Shelby County Coroner’s Office has identified the teen as William James Clowdus. According to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the Honda Civic that Clowdus was driving was struck by a Lexus RX SUV driven by a 64-year-old Birmingham man, sending the Civic off the roadway and into a fence and greenhouse. Clowdus was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.
Key Takeaways
- William James Clowdus, 16, of Alabaster, was killed on Sunday, May 24, 2026, at approximately 2:00 p.m. when the 2013 Honda Civic he was driving was struck by a Lexus RX SUV on Alabama Highway 119 near the 26-mile marker, approximately two miles south of Hoover in Shelby County.
- After the initial impact, the Civic left the roadway and struck a fence and a greenhouse. Clowdus was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
- The SUV was driven by Michael C. Rice, 64, of Birmingham. Rice and a passenger in his vehicle were both injured and transported to UAB Hospital for treatment.
- A 14-year-old passenger in the Honda Civic was also injured and taken to an area hospital.
- ALEA’s Highway Patrol Division is continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash.
- Fob James Law Firm offers free consultations to families affected by serious and fatal car accidents in Shelby County and Jefferson County, with no fees unless recovery occurs.
What Happened: SUV Strikes Teen’s Honda Civic on Highway 119
The crash occurred shortly after 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 24, 2026, along Alabama Highway 119 near the 26-mile marker, approximately two miles south of Hoover and near Eagle Crest Drive in Shelby County. According to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, William James Clowdus, 16, of Alabaster, was driving a 2013 Honda Civic when the vehicle was struck by a Lexus RX wagon driven by Michael C. Rice, 64, of Birmingham.
Following the initial impact, the Honda Civic left the roadway and struck a fence and a greenhouse before coming to a stop. Authorities confirmed that Clowdus was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash and was ejected from the vehicle during the collision sequence. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
A 14-year-old passenger in the Civic was also injured and transported to a local hospital for treatment. Rice and a passenger in the Lexus SUV were both injured and taken to UAB Hospital in Birmingham for treatment.
The Shelby County Coroner’s Office confirmed Clowdus’s identity on Monday, May 25, stating: “Our thoughts and prayers go out to this young man’s family.” ALEA troopers from the Highway Patrol Division are continuing to investigate the cause of the collision.
A Message from Attorney Fob James IV
“The death of a 16-year-old on a Sunday afternoon — on a highway that families in Alabaster and Hoover travel every single day — is a loss beyond words. William Clowdus had his entire life ahead of him. His family deserves real answers about what happened at that intersection, and they deserve an advocate who will fight to get those answers. Insurance companies in fatal crash cases move quickly to protect their interests. If your family has been affected by this crash, I encourage you to speak with an attorney before you speak with any insurer.”
— Fob H. James IV, Managing Attorney | J.D., Vanderbilt University | SuperLawyers Rising Star 2020–2025 | National Trial Lawyers Top 100
Traffic and Community Impact
Alabama Highway 119 is a heavily traveled two-lane corridor connecting Alabaster, Helena, and the southern portions of Shelby County to Hoover and the broader Birmingham metro area. The stretch near the 26-mile marker and Eagle Crest Drive runs through a mix of residential neighborhoods and commercial zones, with consistent traffic throughout the day — including afternoon hours when families, students, and commuters are active on the road.
The loss of a 16-year-old from Alabaster in a crash that also injured three other people, including a 14-year-old, has devastated the local community. Highway 119 has been the site of multiple serious and fatal crashes in recent years, making this latest collision part of a broader pattern of concern for Shelby County residents.
What Investigators Will Examine
ALEA’s Highway Patrol Division is conducting a full investigation. In a two-vehicle crash on a two-lane highway involving a fatal ejection, investigators will typically focus on:
- Point of impact and right-of-way — which vehicle entered the other’s lane, and whether either driver failed to yield or maintain their lane
- Speed — whether either vehicle was traveling in excess of the posted limit or at a speed unsafe for conditions
- Driver conduct — distraction, impairment, or fatigue on the part of either driver
- Vehicle dynamics post-impact — the forces that sent the Civic off the roadway and into a fence and greenhouse, and whether the initial impact angle contributed to the severity of the crash
- Seat belt status — ALEA confirmed Clowdus was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected; investigators will assess the role of the ejection in the fatal outcome
- Event data recorder (black box) data from both vehicles — capturing speed, braking, steering, and other inputs in the seconds before and during the collision
- Licensure and driving experience — given Clowdus’s age (16), investigators may examine his license status and driving history
- Witness statements and any available dashcam or residential surveillance footage from the Highway 119 corridor near Eagle Crest Drive
An official crash report from ALEA will document these findings.
How to Contact ALEA for Official Crash Reports
After the investigation concludes, you can request the official crash report from ALEA:
📍 Mail/In-Person: Alabama Law Enforcement Agency — Records / Crash Reports 301 S. Ripley Street, Montgomery, AL 36104
📞 Phone: (334) 517-2800
🌐 Online: Available via the Alabama Interactive portal once finalized.
Legal Considerations After a Fatal Two-Vehicle Crash Involving a Minor Driver
When a teenager is killed in a multi-vehicle crash on an Alabama highway, the legal questions facing the family are serious, time-sensitive, and complicated by Alabama’s unique wrongful death framework and strict contributory negligence rule. Understanding both the opportunities and the obstacles is essential.
Wrongful Death Under Alabama Code § 6-5-410
Alabama’s wrongful death statute (Ala. Code § 6-5-410) allows the personal representative of the deceased’s estate to bring a civil action against any party whose wrongful act, omission, or negligence caused the death. Unlike nearly every other state, Alabama’s wrongful death damages are exclusively punitive — designed to punish the wrongdoer and deter similar conduct — rather than compensatory. This means the amount of damages is not tied to the victim’s future earnings or medical bills, but rather to the degree of the defendant’s wrongdoing.
For William Clowdus’s family, this means the critical legal question is not what his life was “worth” in economic terms, but how egregious Rice’s conduct was in causing the crash. If Rice crossed the centerline, was speeding, or was distracted at the time of impact, those facts dramatically increase the punitive damages exposure.
Alabama’s Seat Belt Defense — Ala. Code § 32-5B-7
ALEA confirmed that Clowdus was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle. Alabama law (Ala. Code § 32-5B-7) allows a defendant to introduce evidence of seat belt non-use in civil litigation. However, this defense is limited in important ways that families should understand before assuming the worst:
- The seat belt defense may reduce damages but does not bar a wrongful death claim outright
- In wrongful death cases — where damages are punitive rather than compensatory — Alabama courts have given the seat belt defense a narrower role than in standard injury cases
- The defense must show that wearing a seat belt would have prevented or reduced the fatal injuries — a factual question that requires biomechanical expert analysis
- The burden of proving the seat belt defense rests on the defendant, not on the victim’s family
Families should never assume that a seat belt notation in a crash report forecloses their legal options. An experienced attorney can engage biomechanical and accident reconstruction experts to analyze whether the ejection — rather than the initial impact — was the proximate cause of death, and whether the seat belt defense is genuinely applicable in the specific circumstances of this crash.
Contributory Negligence — Alabama’s Strict Standard
Alabama follows a pure contributory negligence standard, meaning that any degree of fault on the part of the deceased could theoretically bar recovery entirely. In a case involving a 16-year-old driver, the defense may attempt to argue that Clowdus’s own driving contributed to the crash. This makes early accident reconstruction and a thorough investigation of Rice’s conduct absolutely essential — the strongest defense against a contributory negligence argument is an overwhelming liability case against the at-fault driver.
What Insurance Companies Do After a Fatal Crash — And What Families Should Know
In the days following a fatal crash, the at-fault driver’s insurance carrier will begin gathering evidence, reviewing the police report, and building a defense. Common tactics families should be aware of include:
- Early settlement offers — insurers may approach the family quickly with an amount that appears generous but is a fraction of the claim’s actual value under Alabama’s punitive wrongful death statute
- Recorded statement requests — adjusters may ask family members to provide statements that can later be used to minimize or deny the claim
- Weaponizing the seat belt finding — insurers will aggressively cite the seat belt notation to pressure the family into accepting a reduced settlement, even when the legal applicability of the defense is far from certain
- Delay tactics — in some cases, insurers will slow the process, hoping financial pressure will force the family to settle for less
The single most important step a family can take is to retain experienced legal counsel before speaking with any insurance representative.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was William James Clowdus? William James Clowdus was a 16-year-old resident of Alabaster, Alabama, who was killed on May 24, 2026, in a two-vehicle crash on Highway 119 near Hoover in Shelby County.
Who was driving the other vehicle in the Highway 119 crash? According to ALEA and the Shelby County Reporter, the Lexus RX SUV was driven by Michael C. Rice, 64, of Birmingham.
Does the seat belt finding prevent the family from filing a wrongful death claim? No. Alabama’s seat belt defense (Ala. Code § 32-5B-7) may be raised by the defendant to reduce damages, but it does not bar a wrongful death claim. Its applicability depends on whether the defense can prove seat belt use would have prevented the fatal injuries — a complex factual question requiring expert analysis.
Can the family of a minor driver file a wrongful death lawsuit in Alabama? Yes. If the crash was caused by the negligence of another driver, the personal representative of the minor’s estate may bring a wrongful death action under Alabama Code § 6-5-410 regardless of the victim’s age.
How do I get the ALEA crash report for the Highway 119 Shelby County crash? You can request the official crash report from ALEA at (334) 517-2800 or via the Alabama Interactive portal. See our Alabama crash report guide for step-by-step instructions.
Local Resources for Shelby County Crash Victims
Shelby County Coroner’s Office Phone: (205) 670-6530 The Coroner’s Office confirmed Clowdus’s identity and issues official death certifications for Shelby County fatalities.
Shelby County Sheriff’s Office 380 McDow Road, Columbiana, AL 35051 Non-Emergency: (205) 670-6000 Emergency: 911 Website: shelbyso.com
Alabaster Police Department 100 Depot Street, Alabaster, AL 35007 Non-Emergency: (205) 663-7401 Emergency: 911
Hoover Police Department 100 Municipal Lane, Hoover, AL 35216 Non-Emergency: (205) 822-5300 Website: hooveral.org/police
Shelby Baptist Medical Center 1000 First Street North, Alabaster, AL 35007 Phone: (205) 620-8100 Shelby Baptist is a primary acute-care hospital serving the Alabaster and southern Shelby County community and a common destination for crash victims in the Highway 119 corridor.
UAB Hospital — Birmingham 619 19th Street South, Birmingham, AL 35249 Phone: (205) 934-4011 Website: uabmedicine.org UAB is a Level I Trauma Center and the facility where Rice and his passenger were transported for treatment. UAB’s trauma division handles the most severe crash injuries in the region.
Alabama Department of Transportation — Central Region (District 3) 1409 Coliseum Boulevard, Montgomery, AL 36110 Phone: (334) 242-6311 Website: dot.state.al.us ALDOT District 3 oversees highway maintenance and traffic engineering in Shelby County. Roadway design records, traffic volume data, and crash history for Highway 119 can be requested through ALDOT and may be relevant in cases involving infrastructure factors.
Alabama Crime Victims Compensation Commission P.O. Box 231267, Montgomery, AL 36123 Phone: 1-800-541-9388 Website: acvcc.alabama.gov The ACVCC provides financial assistance to victims of violent crimes and certain fatal crashes, covering medical expenses, funeral costs, lost wages, and counseling when other sources of payment are unavailable.
Fob James Law Firm — Fighting for Shelby County Families After Fatal Crashes
At Fob James Law Firm, our car accident attorneys and wrongful death lawyers represent families throughout Alabaster, Hoover, Pelham, and all of Shelby County after devastating crashes on highways like AL-119. We understand Alabama’s unique wrongful death framework and its strict contributory negligence rule, and we know how to build cases that overcome the defenses insurers rely on. We offer:
✅ Free, no-obligation case reviews ✅ Accident reconstruction and biomechanical expert coordination ✅ Full seat belt defense analysis under Ala. Code § 32-5B-7 ✅ Insurance company communications managed from day one ✅ Representation on a contingency-fee basis — no fees unless you recover
Fob James, IV
Fob James obtained a B.S., in software engineering from Auburn University and then continued his education by getting his J.D. from Vanderbilt University School of Law. After working for a large national firm for several years, Fob found that his passion was fighting for individuals who have been seriously injured or wronged by others. Fob believes that the jury is the great equalizer to the power and influence that large corporations have in society. Many of Fob’s cases are high profile and have been featured in, among others: Bloomberg News, PlanAdvisor, AL.com, PlanSponsor, InsuranceJournal, and BusinessInsider. For his work in obtaining numerous multi-million dollar outcomes for his clients, Fob has been recognized by: National Trial Lawyers Top 100, SuperLawyers Rising Star (2020-2025), Birmingham Business Journal Who’s Who in Law (2023-2025), and TrustAnalytica – Top Personal Injury Lawyers in Alabama.