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Ashley Hagood Bryant Ballew, 13, and 7-year-old twins Bryleigh Pledger and Brynleigh Pledger and Garrett Nix

Left: Ashley Hagood Bryant Ballew, 13, and 7-year-old twins Bryleigh Pledger and Brynleigh Pledger, died in a crash in Alabama. Bentley Pledger, back center, survived (Peck Funeral Home). Right: Garrett Nix (Lawrence County Jail).

A 35-year-old Alabama man driving a Ford F-150 allegedly blew through a red light and slammed into an SUV driven by a woman with her four kids inside, killing her and three of the children.

Garrett Cole Nix faces four counts of manslaughter and one count each of first-degree assault, driving under the influence, speeding and running a red light.

He's accused of killing 33-year-old Ashley Dawn Hagood and her three kids Bryant Christopher Ballew, 13, and 7-year-old twins Bryleigh Grace Pledger and Brynleigh Nell Pledger. A 10-year-old boy, Bentley Pledger, survived.

The crash occurred shortly after 10:30 a.m. on April 11 at the intersection of State Roads 157 and 24 in Moulton, some 45 miles southwest of Huntsville.

"On April the 11th, 2026, we witnessed one of the most tragic and horrific events imaginable. Four lives were taken needlessly, and family members' lives were changed forever," Moulton Police Chief Craig Knight told reporters Monday at a press conference.

Lt. Casey Baker, who headed the investigation, said there were initial concerns that the traffic light may have malfunctioned and caused the crash. However, authorities determined that Nix's light had been red for a "significant period of time before his vehicle entered the intersection." Several vehicles had already gone through the green light by the time Hagood's SUV entered the intersection, said Baker.

A Lawrence County grand jury indicted Nix last week, and he turned himself in to the jail on Monday where he posted bond.

Nix's attorney James Sturdivant denies his client was under the influence at the time of the crash.

"There is no evidence in this case of impairment. None. Period. End of story," Sturdivant told local NBC affiliate WAFF. "Mr. Nix, like millions of Americans, may have had a recreational use of marijuana three days before, two days before, five days before."

Sturdivant also said it's too early to say whether Nix ran the red light.

"No one disputes that this is a horrible, awful tragedy. However, it is an accident," Sturdivant said, per WAFF. "This case does not belong in criminal court, and it certainly does not belong with a manslaughter charge."

The victims' family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Nix.

Hagood's obituary described her as a "Wonder Woman of a mom."

"Ashley worked tirelessly to provide for her children, always finding a way to make things happen for them no matter the circumstance," the obituary said.

Bryant's obituary called him an "All-American boy."

"He was a baseball throwing, paintball shooting, motocross riding, hunting & fishing, pickleball obsessed stud," the obituary reads. "When Bryant found something, he loved, he went all in, full dedication. He wanted to be the best and he had to have the best."

While Bryleigh died at the scene, her twin sister passed away a few days later at the hospital. Brynleigh was an organ donor.

"We can't change the life it has taken from us, but hopefully donating her gifts, can keep this unimaginable nightmare from happening to someone else," her stepmother, Miranda Pledger, wrote on social media, according to AL.com.

Nix's next court date is slated for Aug. 25.

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Rob Pelinka ‘botched’ the Lakers decisions - what’s next without LeBron?

Rob Pelinka ‘botched’ the Lakers decisions - what’s next without LeBron?

Kevin O'ConnorNBA Senior AnalystTue, June 30, 2026 at 6:04 PM UTC

Yahoo Sports senior NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor reacts to The King’s decision to leave Los Angeles and what’s next for the club. Check out the full conversation on “The Kevin O’Connor Show” and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.

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Video Transcript

What's next for the Lakers?

LeBron James is gone.

They have all this cap space.

They already resigned Austin Reaves, DeAndre Ayton opted in, Marcus Smart might be leaving.

How are they gonna perfectly construct this roster around Luka Doni?

What's this grand plan that Rob Pelinka has been building towards around Luka?

'Cause I'm not seeing it.

What I'm seeing is Pelinka botch decision after decision after decision over the last five years.

And this is another one, because LeBron James is still a top 25 player in the NBA, but he felt exiled ever since they acquired Luka Doni.

Ramona Shelburne from ESPN said they had a meeting with Luka about the future and how to build the team, and it didn't include LeBron James.

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we already know earlier this year, LeBron was slighted when Rob Pelinka barged into the room and, and honored JJ Redick for his, his 100th win, even though LeBron James had another record and JJ was about to give him the game ball before Pelinka came in.

All these little things, you can say LeBron's just being a big, whiny baby.

You can say all that, and that might be true.

It is partially true.

But you can also understand why the guy would feel slighted after he spent eight years there, and very clearly, the Lakers were pushing him out the door.

W- We want you, we want you to be here, but actually, secretly, they want you gone.

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That's what happened with the Lakers.

And so what's Pelinka gonna do?

What are the Lakers gonna do?

What's this new ownership gonna do, run by the Dodgers, who have had great success in building out that baseball team?

So what's gonna happen with the basketball team?

We'll find out in the coming days and in the coming weeks, but I'm skeptical about this whole grand plan that the Lakers supposedly have, 'cause they haven't shown much of a plan over the last five years, ever since they won the championship in the bubble in 2020.

So I'll see it when I believe it.