Two-vehicle crash leaves Auburn man dead, four injured in Opelika, Ala.
A two-vehicle collision Friday in Opelika, Ala., has left an Auburn man dead and four others injured, authorities said.
Dennis Richard Finley, 58, of Auburn was killed when the 2002 Toyota Camry he was riding in was struck broadside at Magnolia Avenue and Martin Luther King Boulevard around 7:20 p.m., Lee County Coroner Bill Harris said. Finley was pronounced dead at the scene.
Rhonda Finley, the 51-year-old driver, was airlifted by a Lifesaver helicopter to Midtown Medical Center in Columbus where she was listed in critical condition. Thomas and Wendi Wallace of Auburn were riding in the back seat of the vehicle during the crash. Both were taken by ambulance to East Alabama Medical Center and treated for non-life threatening injuries.
Alabama State Troopers said Antonio Reese, the 33-year-old driver of a 2005 Chevrolet Malibu that struck the Finleys, was taken to the East Alabama Medical Center and later transferred to the UAB Medical Center in Birmingham. Reese of Auburn was charged with reckless murder, felony attempting to elude and assault in the first-degree.
Authorities said it appears that Reese was traveling south on Magnolia Avenue and failed to stop at the stop sign. He is accused of entering the intersection and striking a vehicle on the driver’s side.
Reese was sought by an officer after a routine traffic stop in the area of Auburn Street and Fruitland Avenue before the crash. The officer lost sight of the vehicle but remained in the area to locate it.
In a matter of seconds, Reese’s vehicle was discovered to have been involved in the collision at Magnolia Street and Martin Luther King Boulevard, police said.
No police vehicle was involved in the crash.
The collision is under investigation by the State Troopers of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency along with the Lee County Coroner’s Office.
Ben Wright: 706-571-8576, @bfwright87
This story was originally published April 23, 2016 at 11:06 AM with the headline "Two-vehicle crash leaves Auburn man dead, four injured in Opelika, Ala.."