A heartbreaking early-Sunday crash in Colbert County has left the community reeling. Around 2:30 a.m., a 2025 Ford Bronco veered off Alabama Highway 184 about three miles east of Muscle Shoals, struck a culvert, clipped a guide wire and overturned, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA). During the rollover, 21-year-old passenger Majala M. West of Tuscumbia was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.
West was not wearing a seat belt when the vehicle left the roadway, troopers say, highlighting once again just how precarious life can become in the blink of an eye. The driver, identified by ALEA as 20-year-old Tamya Thirlkill, sustained injuries and was transported to Helen Keller Hospital in Sheffield for treatment.
Though the investigation is ongoing, ALEA troopers are scrutinizing possible contributing factors — from speed and road conditions to driver fatigue — in hopes of understanding precisely why the vehicle departed the roadway. Officials emphasized that “wearing a seat belt can mean the difference between life and death in a crash,” calling attention to the especially high risk posed to passengers who are unrestrained during rollovers.
Friends and community members took to social media almost immediately to express their sorrow, remembering West as a bright, spirited young woman whose life ended far too soon. The void she leaves in Tuscumbia and beyond is palpable, and many of her loved ones are using the moment to urge everyone who gets behind the wheel — or rides along — to buckle up.
This specific crash highlights a couple of sobering truths: early-morning hours often mean reduced visibility and increased risk, and rollover crashes remain among the deadliest types of collisions when seat belts aren’t used. In Alabama, as in many states, the lack of restraint during a rollover is a strong predictor of fatal injury.
As ALEA continues its investigation, authorities are urging anyone with information about the crash to come forward. The findings will not only help determine what happened in this instance, but also inform future safety campaigns aimed at preventing similar tragedies on Alabama’s highways.
In the aftermath of this local loss, the message is clear: one decision — to buckle up — remains one of the simplest yet most powerful steps toward protecting yourself and your passengers.
