Jacksonville, AL – One Dead, One Injured in Multi-Vehicle Crash on I-20/Heflin

Jacksonville, AL (July 6, 2025) – A devastating three-vehicle collision occurred early Sunday morning, July 6, on Interstate 20 near the 207-mile marker, two miles east of Heflin in Cleburne County. The crash left one woman dead and another man injured. According to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), the accident happened around 7:23 a.m. when a 2024 Buick Encore driven by 74-year-old Elizabeth E. Melton of Summerville, South Carolina, collided with a 2019 Land Rover Discovery operated by James Johnson, 65, of Covington, Georgia.

Shortly after the initial impact, a 2024 Volvo tractor-trailer driven by 36-year-old Joshua J. Waiters of Roanoke, Virginia, struck the Buick, compounding the severity of the crash. Tragically, Melton was pronounced dead at the scene due to her injuries. David Clark, 62, a passenger in the Buick and a resident of Carrollton, Georgia, sustained injuries and was transported to Tanner Medical Center in Carrollton for medical treatment. His current condition has not been released. A

LEA’s Highway Patrol Division is investigating the cause of the crash.

Our thoughts are with the loved ones of Elizabeth Melton, and we extend our heartfelt wishes for a full recovery to David Clark.