The Madison County Senior Citizens Center offers transportation services to seniors within the county who are unable to drive themselves to and from the center.
However, on Friday, June 24, at 2:05 p.m., the Senior Center’s Ford E350 van, driven by Leroy Alexander, 74, of Madison, crashed into a light pole that was on the side of Washington St., in Madison.
An eyewitness at the scene reported to the Madison Police Department (MPD), advising that she had been following behind Alexander for an estimated five miles. The Senior Center’s van had been traveling south on Washington St., and upon entering city limits, it began to drift into the northbound lane. It continued to drift, resulting in the van riding up onto the curb on the west side of the road. The van barely missed colliding with a stop sign; from there, the van struck a power pole that was owned by Duke Energy and snapped the pole in half. It was not the pole, however, that caused the van to stop in its course, but a shed owned by Phillip Combs.
When questioned by law enforcement at the scene, Alexander advised that there was an oncoming vehicle that had caused him to swerve, which conflicted with the eyewitness report.
Alexander did not receive any injuries during the collision, but a passenger in the van, Joann Mcloud, 66, of Madison, required transportation to Madison County Memorial Hospital due to severe injuries.
The damage caused by Alexander’s wreck; it is estimated that there is $4,500 worth of damage to the shed owned by Combs, and an itemized list was provided to the owner; the property damage to the light pole is estimated at $2,000 and the Department of Transportation sign that Alexander clipped received damages worth $200. The damage to the Senior Citizens Center’s van is estimated at $10,000.
Alexander is facing charges of operating a motor vehicle in a negligent and careless manner.