Woman shot and killed before I-85 wreck

A woman was fatally shot in the back of the head early Monday moments before the sedan she was traveling in with three others crashed northbound on I-85 near the Lee-Chambers County line.

Authorities identified Larry Bradford Moore, 21, of Toccoa, Ga., as one of the occupants of the vehicle and the individual in possession of the firearm when it discharged inside the car.

Moore was taken into custody in Valley, Ala., at 12:45 p.m.

Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones said the nature of the incident is still under investigation, so no charges have been filed at this time.

Around 2:30 a.m. EDT, authorities were called to a two-vehicle wreck at I-85 northbound at mile marker 68 involving a four-door sedan and an 18-wheeler. Upon arrival, they found a female passenger in the car dead of a gunshot wound.

The woman, who hasn’t been identified, was pronounced dead at the scene at 3:20 a.m., said Lee County Coroner Bill Harris. Her body is currently at the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences in Montgomery for an autopsy.

Jones said three men were traveling with the woman, but only two were found on the scene. They were transported to the East Alabama Medical Center to be treated for minor injuries, and the truck driver was unharmed.

Further investigation indicated that the group was leaving the Metro Atlanta area and headed to a job in Florida. One of the men in the backseat was armed with a handgun, which discharged while the group was traveling south on I-85, Jones said.

After the shot was fired, the gunman jumped out of the vehicle with the weapon and fled on foot. The driver then headed north on I-85 in search for the fleeing occupant.

“They do see him, but at this point, the vehicle collides with one of the wire barriers and is immobile at that point,” Jones said. “Shortly after that occurs, an 18-wheel truck comes along and strikes that vehicle, hence your accident.”

Jones said the armed individual jumped onto a passing truck that slowed down at the scene. He was on the outside of the vehicle for a short time before jumping off it and landing in the woods.

Authorities searched the area with the help of their K-9 unit, but they were unable to locate him there. He was found in Valley, Ala., around 1:45 p.m. EDT and taken into custody by deputies with the Chambers County Sheriff’s Office.

The Lee County Sheriff’s office has taken the lead in the investigation and was assisted with traffic control by the Opelika Police Department and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.

This story was originally published July 25, 2016 at 10:15 AM with the headline "Woman shot and killed before I-85 wreck."