A 29‑year-old Houston woman, Donnene T. Walker-Vean, died Tuesday after being struck by her own vehicle on Interstate 65 near Kimberly in Jefferson County, Alabama — a tragic accident that is now under investigation by state troopers.
Walker-Vean was involved in a two-vehicle crash on I‑65 South just after noon on Nov. 25, 2025. Initial reports from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) indicate that her car came to rest on the roadway following the collision.
After exiting her disabled vehicle, Walker-Vean was standing outside when a third vehicle — still traveling along the interstate — struck her car. The force of that impact caused her car to lurch forward, and she suffered critical injuries as a result.
Emergency responders rushed her to UAB Hospital in Birmingham, where she was pronounced dead at 12:36 p.m., just minutes after arrival.
No additional details about the other drivers involved have been publicly released, and no other injuries have been confirmed. The Alabama State Troopers are leading the inquiry into both the initial crash and the subsequent impact that proved fatal.
Investigators say they are looking into all aspects of the incident: roadway conditions, traffic flow, visibility, witness statements, and physical evidence from the scene — a necessary process given how quickly a routine crash can become deadly.
The heartbreaking loss of Walker‑Vean — far from home, traveling on a busy interstate, in circumstances still being pieced together — has left her loved ones and the community in deep grief. As investigators work to shed light on exactly what happened, they are urging anyone who saw the crash or has dash-cam footage to come forward.
