The moment both drivers were pulled from the wreckage on Interstate 459 and loaded into ambulances, there was still a chance—still hope—that emergency medicine could reverse what had just happened. But for **19-year-old Adrian Derandre’ Hunter** of **McCalla**, those hopes ended at **12:19 p.m.**, when doctors at **UAB Hospital** were unable to overcome the devastating trauma his body had sustained.
The deadly crash occurred around **11:36 a.m. Wednesday** near the interchange where **Highway 31** meets **I-459 in Hoover**, a busy stretch of roadway often crowded with midday traffic. According to Hoover Police, two southbound vehicles somehow came into contact, though investigators have not yet determined what caused the initial impact.
What is known is that Hunter’s vehicle veered out of control and overturned several times before coming to rest on its roof, crumpled metal and shattered glass strewn across the interstate.Witnesses described the scene as chaotic, with drivers stopping to help as smoke rose from the wreckage. Emergency responders arrived within minutes, extricating both victims and rushing them to nearby hospitals.
While the other driver sustained injuries that were not life-threatening, Hunter’s condition was critical from the start. Despite the tireless efforts of paramedics and trauma specialists, he was pronounced dead less than an hour later.Adrian Hunter’s death has left his family and the McCalla community heartbroken.
Friends remember him as a kind, energetic young man with a contagious smile and big dreams for the future. “He was full of life — always trying to make people laugh,” one classmate said.As investigators continue to analyze skid marks, vehicle damage, and witness statements, those who loved Adrian are left mourning a bright soul taken far too soon, and a life that ended on a stretch of highway he never should have died on.
