Gerald L. Benstine was 52 years old and lived in Haleyville. On Thursday night, October 22, 2026, he was behind the wheel of his 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe on Alabama Highway 36. Around 9:45 p.m. the truck left the road near the 36-mile marker, just east of Somerville.
The Tahoe flipped. Gerald was thrown out. He was not wearing a seat belt. Troopers from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency found him at the scene and said he was already gone.
That stretch of road sits in Morgan County. It is a regular route for folks heading through the area. One moment Gerald was driving. The next the vehicle was upside down and he was outside it.
People who knew him in Haleyville are left with the sudden hole that comes when someone leaves like that. Fifty-two is not old. There was no long illness or warning. Just a crash on a Thursday night.
The investigation is still open. ALEA Highway Patrol is looking into what made the Tahoe leave the pavement. No other vehicles were involved. It was just Gerald and the road.
His family and friends now face the days that follow a loss like this. The kind where the phone call comes late and nothing feels the same after. Simple things, like shared meals or quick talks, get heavier when they are gone for good.
Gerald’s name is more than a line in a report. He had a life in Haleyville before that night on Highway 36. Those who cared about him will carry the memories of the man they knew.
Leave a Reply