Latest Headlines
- No Serious Injuries In Fiery Cantonment Wreck (With Gallery)
- Northview NJROTC Cadets Undergo Annual Inspection (With Gallery)
- Highway 97 Crash Snaps Power Pole; Over 500 FPL Customers Lose Power
- Teen Seriously Injured When His Pickup Crashes Off Kingsfield Road Bridge
- Former Escambia Firefighter Assigned To Beulah Gets 75 Years In Federal Prison For Child Porn
- Century Water Rates Could Nearly Double In Effort To Keep System Afloat
- Walnut Hill Man Charged With Alleged Hammer Assault
- Evan Taylor’s Third Home Run Of The Night Gives Tate Walk-Off Win Over Crestview
- Veterans Services Outreach On Thursday In Molino
- Tate Lady Aggies Drop Close One To Gulf Breeze (With Gallery)
Call For Safety Changes On Highway 31 After Devastating Wreck That Injured Flomaton High Student
February 10, 2026
A Flomaton High School student remains hospitalized in critical condition following a devastating single-vehicle crash Friday afternoon on Highway 31. First responders, who described the 1:30 p.m. wreck as one of the worst in decades, noted the accident occurred just outside city limits in an area known for frequent incidents.
“This may be the worst motor vehicle crash I’ve seen in my 40 years,” Flomaton Fire Department Chief Steve Stanton said. “I mean it was just demolished.”
Chief Stanton noted that the stretch between the city limits and Twin Bridges Road averages 10 accidents annually. In response to the tragedy, the Escambia County (Alabama) School District has provided counseling for students and staff.
“We have met with our teachers and staff from the high school and offered counseling for our students or our staff that have needed additional resources,” Superintendent Dr. Michele Collier said. “We’ve let the teachers know to be on the lookout for any changes in behavior or withdrawals from any students.”
Dr. Collier is working with State Representative Alan Baker on two safety requests for the Highway 31 corridor near the campus:
- Relocating a crosswalk between the high school and the baseball park for better visibility.
- Expanding the reduced speed limit zone further out from the school.
“…We have a crosswalk between the high school and the baseball park that probably needs to be relocated so that it does draw more attention to for a better placement for our baseball team and our student athletes crossing that road,” said Collier. “It is a highway and so, you know, we also are requesting that we slow some of that speed down as well,” she added.
Currently, the 45 mph limit only drops to 35 mph a few hundred feet from the crosswalk. For Chief Stanton, whose granddaughter is a classmate of the victim, the accident serves as a somber reminder of road safety.
“It’s just so many things that can happen on the highway now,” Stanton said. “You know, it’s just tons of MVAs [motor vehicle accidents] and you know I just always tell my granddaughter to be safe and drive the speed limit. And you know be careful and this hits home, it really hits home.”
The driver’s identity has not been released.
Comments
6 Responses to “Call For Safety Changes On Highway 31 After Devastating Wreck That Injured Flomaton High Student”
How fast was he driving? I have a teenage daughter and she expresses concern herself about teenagers driving. She says it’s very dangerous before and after school. Some teenagers are dangerous!! They speed, weave around cars and don’t pay attention! Police monitoring the roads before and after school would help.
Prayers he makes a full recovery ❤️
Prayers for the teens recovery and for the family dealing with this tragedy.
As someone who drive’s through Flomaton everyday , Where are the cops ?? You never see them anymore . The only cop that can be found is the one sitting with his light on by the school . Before they always made their presence know . Without the police out there everybody including Big trucks fly on 31 and on 113 .
I am coming to believe that AI speed cameras (and lots of them) are what is needed to get drivers to follow speed limits. Instead of putting fines on citations, they could be placed on top of tag or license renewals.
As much as I would like to see more actual law officer enforcement, it just doesn’t seem practical. And as much as I disdain the loss of privacy, driving occurs on public property and there are rules to follow. If AI and hefty fines can get this under control, I regretfully must say I would support it, given the never ending reckless driving habits of our own citizens.
Pray this teenager gets another chance. School zones are becoming the most dangerous stretches of road everywhere. We need cameras on every school zone flashing light to send out well-deserved tickets. A huge fine might help save a life.
It’s only time till this comes to a local roadway here, too. Travel Pine Barren Road and CR 164 between 3:25 p.m. and 3:45 p.m. on school days, and you’ll see several cars and pickups driving like they are on Germany’s Autobahn. With frequency, they pass in no passing zones, tailgate at high speeds, and drive in both lanes blocking others from passing them as they race down the roadway. Maybe some targeted traffic enforcement in the morning and afternoon would help change these bad habits.