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.

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under FRONT TOP