MARION COUNTY - At approximately 5 a.m. today, April 30, a traffic crash claimed the life of an Empire man.
Morris H. Welch, Jr, 56, was hit and killed while repairing a disabled vehicle near the 25-mile marker on I-22 in Marion County. The vehicle that struck Welch left the scene, but was later located by an Alabama State Trooper.
Vaughn Christian Walker, 24, of Marrero, LA. was operating a 2019 Freightliner and is suspected of being involved in the crash.
Nothing further is available as State Troopers continue to investigate.