It was just past 8 p.m. on Saturday night when Raymond S. Theriault was out near the highway. The 55-year-old Birmingham resident was walking along U.S. 280 in Shelby County, Alabama, right near the 8-mile marker. That spot sits less than a mile east of the Hoover city line.
Traffic on that strip of U.S. 280 moves fast, even after sundown. Around 8:15 p.m., a 2017 Kia Sorento came down the road. Behind the wheel was Jerome Rhodes Jr., a 62-year-old man who also lives in Birmingham.
Rhodes’s vehicle struck Theriault while he was in the roadway. The force of the collision left Theriault with severe injuries on the pavement. First responders arrived at the scene shortly after the call came in to help him.
Paramedics quickly loaded Theriault into an ambulance to transport him to the hospital. They rushed him straight to the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital, known locally as UAB Hospital. Emergency medical crews worked on him during the entire ride to keep him alive.
Doctors and trauma staff at UAB Hospital took over as soon as he arrived. They tried everything they could to save his life in the emergency room. Despite their efforts, Theriault’s injuries were too severe, and he was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Theriault was part of the Birmingham community, where he had lived his life alongside family and friends. People who knew him are now left dealing with the sudden shock of his loss. A routine Saturday night turned into a tragic loss for his loved ones in an instant.
Local authorities are continuing to look into the full circumstances surrounding the crash along the highway. For Theriault’s family, the focus remains on remembering his life and preparing to say their final goodbyes.
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