Dale County, Ala. — Early Thursday morning, a quiet stretch of Highway 231 turned into a scene of heartbreak when a big rig veered off the pavement and into the trees, killing the driver. The victim has been identified as 58‑year‑old Evelio DeJesus of Sebastian, Florida.
Just after 6 a.m., DeJesus was driving his 18‑wheeler northbound near the 48‑mile marker when something went wrong. Before long, his truck left the highway and struck a stand of trees along the roadside. Emergency crews were called to the scene, but DeJesus did not survive the crash.
Fire crews from the Marley Mill Volunteer Fire Department and the Dothan Fire Department rushed in for mutual aid. Their first concern was whether the trailer was hauling hazardous materials, but authorities soon confirmed there were no dangerous substances on board. Still, the sight of the massive truck pinned in the treeline brought a heavy silence to the cold morning.
Highway crews had to shut down both northbound lanes for several hours while they worked to remove the wreckage. Motorists were stuck, watching orange cones and flashing lights replace the routine blur of traffic. It was a stark reminder of how quickly life can change on a rural highway.
The Dale County Coroner, John Cawley, said DeJesus’s body was taken to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for an autopsy. Family and friends in Sebastian are left to grapple with the loss of a man they remember for his warm laugh and steady work ethic.
Investigators are still trying to figure out what caused the truck to run off the road. Was it a mechanical issue, a moment of distraction, fatigue, or something in the road itself? That answer isn’t clear yet, and state troopers are piecing together the early morning mystery.
For residents who use Highway 231 daily, the crash is a grim bookmark in their week. For DeJesus’s loved ones, it marks a life cut short and the long road of mourning ahead.
