Drunk 70-year-old Alabama man struck, killed teen walking along road, police say

Published 6:15 am Thursday, March 28, 2024

An elderly Alabama man has been charged with murder after police say he was drunk Tuesday when he struck and killed a teenager who was walking along a road.

Walter Lee Ellison, 70, of Fairfield, was charged with murder, driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident, Hueytown police said.

Just after midnight on Tuesday, police said they stopped a Ford pickup truck being driven by Ellison after they noticed the truck driving on the wrong side of the road near Allisonn Bonnett Memorial Drive and Brooklane Drive.

After stopping Ellison, police saw what they believed to be recent damage on his pickup truck. After searching the area, they were unable to locate any evidence that would indicate the cause of the damage.

But a few hours later at approximately 6:15 a.m. police were called to Hueytown Road and Walker Avenue for a report of a person being down on the side of the road.

There, they found the lifeless body of Gabriel Demor Edwards, 18. Police believe Edwards was wakling on the road when Ellison struck him. Investigators said they found evidence of broken car parts near Edwards’ body. Some of that evidence is believed to have matched Ellison’s green Ford F-150 pickup.