Ider Man Killed in Multi-vehicle Crash on I-59 Near Dekalb County

DEKALB COUNTY — A multi-vehicle collision on Interstate 59 near Dekalb County Road 140, approximately one mile south of the Georgia state line, has claimed the life of an Ider man.

The crash occurred at about 5:20 p.m. Wednesday, April 29. Alvin D. Benefield, 62, of Ider, was fatally injured when the 2003 Ford F-150 he was driving struck a 2023 Volvo tractor-trailer driven by 43-year-old Kakha-Melikidze of Staten Island, N.Y. Following the initial impact, Benefield’s pickup collided head-on with a 2020 Ford F-150 driven by 47-year-old Richard W. Bivins of Jacksonville.

Benefield was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the vehicle and was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Bivins was injured and transported to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga, Tenn., for treatment. The passenger of the 2020 Ford F-150, 53-year-old Jermaine White of Verbena, was also injured and taken to Erlanger for medical care.

Troopers with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Highway Patrol Division are investigating the crash. No further information was available.