Tuesday started like any other day on Morgan Road in Bessemer. Just before 8:30 a.m. two vehicles met head-on in the 2500 block.
One of the drivers was John Ray Corkren, 80. He lived in Bessemer. He was the only person in his car.
First responders found him at the scene. They pronounced him dead at 8:38 a.m. The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office confirmed his identity later.
The second driver was taken to UAB Hospital with injuries. Police have not said how serious those are.
Bessemer officers are running the investigation. They are still piecing together what led to the crash. No charges or extra details have come out yet.
Corkren had reached 80 years. That is a long time spent in the same community. People who shared roads and stores with him now face the quiet that follows a sudden loss.
The crash remains under review by local police. The road is open again, but the facts of that morning stay fixed. One life ended in the collision. The rest of the story is still being checked.




