STEVENSON, Alabama — A boat crash on the Tennessee River in Jackson County left one person dead and two others injured.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) said 52-year-old James Ray Blair was killed when his fishing boat was struck by a commercial towing boat. Two other passengers on the fishing boat were injured and were transported by first responders for medical treatment.
The crash took place north of the Alabama 117 Bridge near Stevenson.
The U.S. Coast Guard and ALEA's Marine Patrol Division are investigating the accident.
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In Huntsville and Madison County, you can text 911 if you are in an emergency in which you can’t speak, according to Huntsville-Madison County 911 Center Director Chris Tucker.
"Just pull up the text app in your smart phone, and key in 9-1-1 in the recipient field and key in your message, always put it in the location and the nurture of your emergency and click send," Tucker says.
If possible, calling 911 should be your first choice.
Tucker said this service benefits people who are deaf, hearing or speech impaired along with people in situations where it would be unsafe to speak, such as an abduction, home invasion or domestic violence.
The service is currently only available in English and for the following carriers:
- AT&T
- Verizon
- T-Mobile
- Sprint
Additionally, Tucker said to never use abbreviations or slang and that photos, videos, emojis, attachments and group texts are not accepted by text to 911.
"We want to ensure that no matter who receives the text message, that they understand and get you the help that you need," he says.
