Phenix City truck driver charged in 2016 crash that killed 5 on U.S. 80

The driver of a Mack truck that collided with a Nissan Rogue on U.S. 80 and killed all the occupants in July 2016 faces five counts of criminally negligent homicide, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said.

Kenneth Eugene Cathey, 51, of Phenix City was booked into the Russell County Jail on Thursday and later released. No information was available on a court hearing or a bond.

Authorities said Cathey was the driver of the tractor-trailer truck on July 18 when it collided with a 2014 Nissan Rogue driven by Carrie Jones, 32, of Albany, La. The collision killed Jones, her two children, Trinity Jones, 7, and Jaxson Jones, 4, Trudy Hebert and her twin sister Judy Madere, both 58, all of Albany.

After the 8:30 a.m. crash on a stretch of road between Ladonia and Crawford, Cathey was taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

All of the occupants of the Nissan were pronounced dead at the scene.

A man who witnessed the collision said it was like no other he had ever seen. Another witness said the impact sounded like an explosion .

Madere’s daughter, “AJ” Thomas, said her family spent time traveling back and forth to visit the area. A few days after the crash, Thomas joined family and friends for a vigil at the Phenix City Amphitheater on the birthday of the twins. At the end of the program, balloons were released for all the victims.

This story was originally published November 16, 2017 at 8:35 PM with the headline "Phenix City truck driver charged in 2016 crash that killed 5 on U.S. 80."