SUMTER COUNTY, Ala. — A beloved Livingston grandfather is dead after a horrific two-vehicle crash Saturday evening on a rural stretch of Alabama Highway 28, just east of town.
Alabama Law Enforcement Agency troopers say 68-year-old Ellis Bibbs was driving his pickup truck westbound around 5:30 p.m. November 29 when, for reasons still under investigation, his vehicle collided nearly head-on with an eastbound SUV.
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The force of the impact sent Bibbs’ truck careening off the roadway, where it slammed into a large tree on the shoulder. First responders found the Livingston man trapped and critically injured. Despite frantic efforts at the scene and transport to Baptist Anderson Regional Medical Center across the state line in Mississippi, Bibbs was pronounced dead a short time later.
The driver of the SUV, whose name and condition have not been released, was also transported to the same hospital with injuries described by ALEA as non-life-threatening.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene as emergency crews from Sumter County and Livingston Fire & Rescue worked for more than an hour to extricate Bibbs and clear twisted wreckage that littered the highway.
“Mr. Ellis was a fixture around here – always helping neighbors, cutting grass at the church, picking up grandkids from school,” said family friend Mary Alice Johnson, fighting back tears outside the hospital Saturday night. “He didn’t deserve to go out like this.”
ALEA’s Highway Patrol Division continues to investigate. Crash-reconstruction specialists spent Sunday mapping skid marks, photographing damage patterns, and downloading data from both vehicles. Investigators say speed, distraction, impairment, and fading daylight are all being examined as possible contributing factors. No charges have been filed at this time.
The crash occurred on a straight but narrow section of Highway 28 that locals say has seen several serious wrecks in recent years. Community members have already begun calling for increased patrols and possible safety improvements.
Funeral arrangements for Ellis Bibbs are pending with a Livingston funeral home. A GoFundMe organized by the family had raised more than $8,000 by Monday morning to help with unexpected expenses.
Anyone who witnessed the crash or has dash-cam footage is urged to contact ALEA investigators.