Salem teen dies in Lee County crash after not using a seat belt, Alabama authorities say

A single-vehicle crash Friday morning in Lee County resulted in the death of a Salem man, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.

Authorities identified the victim as Devon Nicholas Bellar-Yates, 19. ALEA said in a news release he was critically injured when the 2006 Nissan Maxima he was driving left the road and overturned.

Yates was not using a seat belt during the crash and was ejected from the vehicle, ALEA said. The crash occurred on Lee County 158, approximately 13 miles east of Opelika, according to ALEA.

He was transported to East Alabama Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, according to the news release.

When asked whether a cause of the crash has been established and whether alcohol or drugs were involved in the crash, ALEA public affairs officer and senior trooper Kendra McKinney told the Ledger-Enquirer on Monday that the crash is still under investigation.

McKinney said updates will be provided upon the completion of the investigation.

This story was originally published January 13, 2025 at 1:35 PM.