Carai Cortez
HUNTSVILLE-The Huntsville Police Department released a statement concerning the head-on crash that took place early Thursday morning, May 19:
“Three Madison County residents were killed this morning after being hit head-on by a wrong way driver on I-565. The accident occurred in the area of I-565 and Bob Wallace Avenue when a car, driven by 22 year old Carai Cortez, was going the wrong way and hit an SUV with three people inside. The driver of the SUV, 21 year old Benjamin Johnson, and a child, 3 year old Hayden Martella, were both pronounced dead at the scene. The child’s mother, 22 year old Alexa Hannig, was transported to the hospital where she died a short time later. Cortez was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
Huntsville Police Department Traffic Homicide Investigators have charged Cortez with three counts of Murder as well as Driving Under the Influence, and Driving on Wrong Side of Road. The investigation is still ongoing.”
