Left inset: John McAdams (Limestone County Jail). Right inset: William Hardrick (Miami University – Ohio). Background: The commercial truck that John McAdams was allegedly driving on Interstate 65 in Alabama when he caused a series of crashes, killing William Hardrick, cops say (WZDX/YouTube).
An Alabama truck driver has been indicted on murder and DUI charges for allegedly causing eight crashes along an interstate earlier this year, dubbed the “27 miles of terror” by prosecutors, in the middle of rush hour. A college football player was killed during the highway mayhem.
John McAdams, 31, allegedly admitted to drinking an “unknown amount of tequila” from a water bottle and taking kratom — an herbal supplement that is sold as an “energy booster, mood lifter, [and] pain reliever,” per the Mayo Clinic — before causing the wrecks on Interstate 65 with his Peterbilt 18-wheeler on May 6.
McAdams was indicted this week by a grand jury and charged with one count of murder for the death of 22-year-old Adamsville native William Hardrick, six counts of leaving the scene of an accident, one count of driving under the influence and one count of trafficking synthetic drugs, according to local CBS affiliate WHNT.
McAdams reportedly told investigators that he pulled over his 2000 Peterbilt tractor-trailer at the 365-mile marker of I-65 to rest and drink tequila before napping. He allegedly admitted to taking about half a teaspoon to one tablespoon of kratom, which is illegal in Alabama.
“After waking up, he got back on the road but did not remember the specific details of when or why,” investigators wrote in one of the crash reports, per Fox affiliate WBRC.
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McAdams allegedly pulled back onto the interstate and slammed into his first victim, a driver of a sedan, while traveling at a speed of 85 mph. He continued on, with cellphone video showing him swerving in and out of lanes, according to prosecutors.
Hardrick, who played football for Austin Peay State University and Miami University in Ohio, was on his way home when McAdams “aggressively struck” his vehicle next, roughly 6 miles after the first crash, according to police.
Hardrick was apparently forced off the road and into a ditch before hitting a wildlife fence and guardrail, which caused his car to overturn and roll several times. He was partially ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.
A few minutes later, McAdams allegedly crashed into the back of an SUV and “overrode” its bumper. This caused the driver to immediately pull over to the side of the road, according to law enforcement officials. McAdams then allegedly rear-ended another driver and forced them off the road as well, WBRC reports.
Investigators say McAdams went on to cause several more crashes before “he could no longer operate the vehicle and came to a controlled stop.” Cellphone footage reportedly shows his red Peterbilt engulfed in flames afterward.
McAdams allegedly agreed to take field sobriety tests at the scene, which “revealed several clues of impairment,” according to the crash reports. His BAC was said to be .09, which is above the legal limit of .04 for commercial drivers.
State attorneys have described the interstate onslaught as “27 miles of terror,” according to local ABC and NBC affiliates WAAY and WAFF. McAdams is being held without bond after being indicted Wednesday in Limestone County.
