Three tragic deaths occurred over the Christmas weekend.

Plane Crash

A 21-year-old Pell City pilot was killed when his plane crashed in the Talladega National Forest Christmas Eve.

The small Piper PA-28 flown by student-pilot John Lawrence Gilbert, Jr. was found by the Civil Air Patrol two miles north of Heflin after the Pell City Police Department and the St. Clair County Airport Authority were called in to track the pilot’s trajectory after he was reported missing Christmas Day.

After the plane was located that afternoon, the Cleburne County Sherriff’s Department found Gilbert, still inside the plane. An autopsy was performed, but initial reports were that Gilbert died of blunt force trauma on impact.

Pell City Police Chief Greg Turley, a helicopter pilot who often saw Gilbert at the St. Clair County Airport, spoke highly of the young man.

“I first knew him when he came through our Junior Police Academy boot camp when he was about 14 years old,” Turley said. “When I first met him, I noticed that as he matured he showed a lot of leadership qualities. He made platoon leader when he went through the boot camp. When he started flying, I would see him at the airport and he would talk about his girlfriend or flying. Seeing the excitement of a person doing something so rare—flying an airplane—well, running into him was the highlight of my day at the airport. He enjoyed racing, too. Things were always going good with him.”

The FAA is handling the investigation.

Worker Found Dead

A Pell City school maintenance worker was found hung Christmas evening at the Pell City Center’s mechanical room. The death was ruled accidental. A missing person’s report was issued when 41-year-old Elton Bunt of Lincoln didn’t show up for Christmas activities at a relative’s house.

A Pell City Police officer went to the CEPA building after his car was located there and he was found inside.

Ragland Student

A 14-year-old Ragland girl died the day after Christmas when she was ejected from the car she was traveling in on Macedonia Road just after 11 p.m.

Jadi Nicole Brock was fatally injured when the 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe carrying four teens wrecked.

According to the accident report, the 16-year-old male driver of the car was transported to St. Vincent’s-St. Clair Hospital and two other 14-year-old passengers were transported to Children’s Hospital in Birmingham following the wreck.

The accident is under investigation by the Alabama State Trooper’s office.

-Michael Mee