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Off-duty Tenn. FF, infant daughter killed in Ala. 17-vehicle pileup

Cody Fox and his 9-month-old daughter, Ariana, were killed in the fatal crash, and his fiance, Hayle, was critically injured and remains in the hospital

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Fox was a volunteer firefighter for the New Hope Volunteer Fire Department and was involved with the South Pittsburg Volunteer Fire Department, as well as being a volunteer member of the EMA.

Photo/South Pittsburg Volunteer Fire Service

Ben Benton
Chattanooga Times Free Press, Tenn.

MARION COUNTY, Tenn. — Friends and family are reeling over the deaths of a Marion County, Tennessee, volunteer firefighter and father and his 9-month-old daughter who were among 10 people — nine of them children — killed Saturday in a fiery 17-vehicle crash on Interstate 65 in Butler County, Alabama.

People in Marion County’s New Hope and South Pittsburg communities are mourning the loss of 29-year-old Cody Fox and his infant daughter, Ariana, according to Steve Lamb, emergency management agency director for the county.

“I’m at a loss for words,” Lamb said Monday. “He was a fine young man with a bright future.”

Fox was a volunteer firefighter for the New Hope Volunteer Fire Department and was involved with the South Pittsburg Volunteer Fire Department, as well as being a volunteer member of the EMA, Lamb said. Fox was liked by all who knew him, Lamb said.

In a social media post on the deaths on Sunday, Lamb wrote, “Words cannot express the grief I have felt since I received the call yesterday afternoon informing me of the death of Cody and his daughter in an automobile accident in southern Alabama. Cody was an integral part of the EMA staff in Marion County, always ready, always willing to serve. His upbeat attitude, his willingness to learn, and without a doubt the politest young man I have ever known, will be greatly missed.

“I offer my deepest prayers for his parents and family. He was a dedicated responder, a good son, a good brother, a good father and a good friend,” he wrote.

“I’m going to miss him terribly,” Lamb said.

According to a social media post by the South Pittsburg Mountain Volunteer Fire Department, Fox’s fiance, Hayle Anderson, also was injured in the crash. Family members couldn’t be reached Monday for comment.

Corey Comstock is the chief at the South Pittsburg Volunteer Fire Department, where Fox also volunteered. Comstock said Fox felt an attachment to the community.

“He loved his community in Marion County,” Comstock said. “It’s especially hard to lose somebody like him who was so happy and outgoing.”

Fox also was a member of the Marion County Chamber of Commerce board of directors, according to a social media post by chamber president Shelby Potterfield.

“Cody has served as a board director representing South Pittsburg for two years and before that was an active chamber member, attending meetings, offering his help with events and reaching out to other businesses to get them involved in chamber activities,” Potterfield said in the post. “Always friendly, polite and eager to help others, Cody was a good friend to many and deeply cared about his family and community.”

The pileup happened at 2:30 p.m. Saturday on northbound I-65, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Troopers found seven of the 17 vehicles involved — including two commercial vehicles — in flames when they arrived. Authorities said the vehicles likely hydroplaned on the rain-slick interstate.

Besides the Marion County father and daughter, the other fatalities included a 3-year-old, 8-year-old, 12-year-old, 14-year-old, 15-year-old, two 16-year-olds and a 17-year-old, authorities said in a statement. All of the juveniles were from Alabama and were pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

Fox and his daughter were traveling in a separate vehicle from the van containing children ages 3 to 17 that belonged to the Tallapoosa County Girls Ranch, a youth home operated by the Alabama Sheriffs Association, The Associated Press reported.

Michael Smith, the youth ranch’s CEO, said the van was heading back to the ranch near Camp Hill, Alabama, northeast of Montgomery, after a week at the beach in Gulf Shores. It caught fire after the wreck and Candice Gulley, the ranch director, was the van’s only survivor — pulled from the flames by a bystander, AP reported.

“Investigating fatal crashes is one of the most difficult responsibilities of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency,” ALEA’s Secretary of Law Enforcement Hal Taylor said in a statement on the accident. “Yesterday was an extremely heartbreaking day for the state of Alabama, as 10 lives were tragically lost in one horrific event. I would like to offer my sincerest condolences to the friends and families of loved ones lost in Saturday’s terrible crash, as well as my gratitude to all of the first responders and volunteers who quickly and valiantly responded to the scene. It was a difficult and unimaginable scene for many, and our thoughts and prayers are with all involved as we continue to investigate and provide closure for those affected.”

Meanwhile, Alabama troopers and the National Transportation Safety Board are continuing to investigate and are seeking information from anyone who witnessed the crash or took photos or video. Anyone with photos or videos related to the crash can submit them to media.relations@alea.gov or share via social media @aleaprotects.

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(c)2021 the Chattanooga Times/Free Press (Chattanooga, Tenn.)

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