MORGAN HAWKINS, authorities have identified the woman who was killed in a serious traffic crash Sunday afternoon along U.S. 280 in Jefferson County.
According to the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office, the victim was Morgan Lakesha Hawkins, a 27-year-old resident of Birmingham.
The crash happened at approximately 1:16 p.m. on U.S. 280 between Cherokee Road and Cahaba Road.
Rocky Ridge Fire District Chief Jon Lord said the vehicle was traveling westbound when it lost control and struck the median guardrail on the passenger side.
The impact pushed the guardrail into two eastbound lanes of traffic, creating a major roadway obstruction.
Both occupants of the vehicle were trapped inside after the collision.
Emergency crews worked to extricate the victims, and traffic in the area was shut down for several hours during the response.
Hawkins, who was seated in the front passenger seat, was pronounced dead at the scene at approximately 1:45 p.m.
The driver, whose identity has not been released, was transported to UAB Hospital with serious injuries, officials said.
Multiple agencies responded to the scene, including the Rocky Ridge Fire District, Mountain Brook Fire and Police Departments, and Alabama State Troopers.
Mountain Brook police said the crash remains under active investigation, and additional information will be released as it becomes available.
