UPDATE: ALEA confirms missing Theodore woman was killed in a crash on U.S. 98
UPDATE: The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency on Wednesday confirmed to FOX10 News that Tumeka M. Williams, 47, a Theodore woman who had been reported missing, was the second victim killed Feb. 20 in a fiery crash on U.S. 98.
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EARLIER STORY:
MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - A tragedy and a mystery happening in Mobile County last week.
Two people were killed in a fiery crash on Highway 98 near the Mississippi state line. One of the two victims was identified.
The two-vehicle wreck happened eight days ago on Feb. 20, but the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency just released information on the crash late Tuesday afternoon.
FOX 10 News has been pressing for answers on this tragedy since last week, but ALEA wouldn’t even confirm the crash happened.
On Monday, we reached out to the governor’s office for help, and the next day we finally got some answers.
According to ALEA, a truck and an SUV collided head-on around 8:30 pm., killing both drivers.
Sixty-year-old Johnny Jordan from Oak Vale, Mississippi was driving the truck and an unidentified victim was driving the SUV.
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A good friend of Jordan’s, Jamie Coulter, flew in from Arkansas the moment he heard of his friend’s passing.
“Mine and my wife’s both hearts were just shattered into pieces, tremendously good friends,” Coulter said. “We were more like brothers than friends. Johnny Jordan probably one of the best men that I know of.”
FOX 10 News has learned the SUV belonged to Tameka Williams.
Williams was the Theodore woman reported missing last week by the Hattiesburg Police Department.
Hattiesburg PD later updated the case, saying Williams’ SUV was involved in a two-vehicle crash in Alabama on February 20.
State troopers said the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences is working to make a positive identification.
In the meantime, Jordan’s family and friends say they haven’t received much information from ALEA.
“We’ve kind of been left in the dark,” Coulter said. “The only thing we actually know is that it was a head-on collision and the other vehicle caught fire. And we really don’t know anything other than that.”
Jordan was laid to rest on Monday.
We’re told three of Jordan’s nieces and nephews were with him when the crash happened.
Coulter said one of the children broke his arm.
It’s still unclear exactly why ALEA waited so long to release any information about the crash.
In late January, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey issued a new Executive Order promoting more transparency in state government.
The new requirements begin in late April.
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