Lowndesboro VFD responds to Friday accident with jaws of life, injured driver charged with DUI

Published 2:29 pm Sunday, June 19, 2016

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By Fred Guarino

The Lowndes Signal

A Prattville man was charged by State Troopers with driving under the influence following a single-vehicle accident on Alabama Highway 97, Friday night,  in which he was injured and to which the Lowndesboro Volunteer Fire Department responded to free him with the jaws of life.

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Jesse Thornton of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) said James Roberts, 24, of Prattville was charged with driving under the influence following a single-vehicle crash on Alabama 97 between U.S. Highway 80 and McCurdy Drive that occurred around 8:44 p.m.

Thornton said the driver “ran off the road and struck a tree in a 1997 Toyota Corolla. He was injured. He was charged with DUI.”

Dennis Blair of the Lowndesboro Volunteer Fire Department said the accident occurred about two miles south of Lowndesboro on Friday, June 17. He said it took the Lowndesboro VFD about 35 minutes to free the driver using the “jaws of life.”

The Lowndesboro Volunteer Fire Department used the "jaws of life" to free the driver of this vehicle following a single-vehicle accident Friday night. Submitted photo.

The Lowndesboro Volunteer Fire Department used the “jaws of life” to free the driver of this vehicle following a single-vehicle accident Friday night. Submitted photo.