A 20-year-old college football player and another driver were both pronounced dead at the scene following a head-on collision on November 10, 2025, in Chilton County, Alabama, according to reports from multiple outlets, including WSFA.
James E. Owens Jr., a junior defensive lineman for Huntingdon College in Montgomery, was driving a 2019 Chevrolet Camaro when it collided with a Toyota Tundra driven by Justin E. Carlee, 42, of Maplesville. The collision occurred around 5:30 a.m. on U.S. Route 82, approximately two miles west of Maplesville. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Highway Patrol Division continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Owens, a Tuscaloosa native who stood 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighed 235 pounds, played on the defensive line for the Huntingdon Hawks. According to team statistics, he recorded 10 tackles in five games this season. Throughout his three-year career with the program, Owens finished with 20 tackles across 13 total games.
The Huntingdon College football program shared a heartfelt tribute on social media following news of Owens’ death. The team described him as a towering presence of kindness and a force to be reckoned with as a member of the defensive line. The program emphasized that he was a great representative of their college both on and off the field, noting that throughout his time as a Hawk, Owens carried himself at the utmost standard of respect, integrity, and kindness.
U.S. Route 82, where the crash occurred, is a two-lane roadway that runs through rural areas of central Alabama, connecting multiple counties and small communities. Such rural two-lane roads lack the physical barriers and safety features of urban highways.
Mike Turk, Huntingdon’s head football coach, told reporters that the team returned to practice on Tuesday following the loss. “It has been one of those weeks where we need each other, we need to be together,” Turk said. “We went back to work Tuesday and started trying to get ready for Belhaven, as I know James would have wanted us to do, and prepare to go play well, as I know he would want us to do.”
Rhett Butler, Huntingdon College chaplain and dean of the chapel, spoke about a significant moment earlier in the season when Owens was baptized during the opening week of football. Butler described Owens as the most abundantly assured person he had ever baptized, noting that he knew Jesus, loved Jesus, and was insistent on taking the next step of his faith through baptism. Butler shared that Owens originally did not want to be baptized in front of many people, but changed his mind when he realized what a witness his own faith could be for the faith of others.
On Sunday afternoon, the Huntingdon community gathered to honor Owens’ memory. Footage posted on social media showed attendees wearing the school’s colors and releasing red and white balloons into the sky as a tribute to the young athlete. The balloon release represented a moment of collective mourning for a student-athlete who had made a lasting impression on his teammates, coaches, and classmates.
Before attending Huntingdon College, Owens played football at Northridge High School. The communities at both institutions have expressed their grief over the loss. College athletics often create tight-knit communities where players, coaches and staff develop bonds that extend beyond the field, making such losses particularly difficult for everyone involved.
Huntingdon College, a private liberal arts institution affiliated with the United Methodist Church, enrolls approximately 900 undergraduate students and competes in NCAA Division III athletics. The school’s football program emphasizes both athletic excellence and character development, values that teammates and coaches said Owens embodied throughout his time with the team.
The collision also claimed the life of Carlee, a 42-year-old resident of Maplesville, a small town in Chilton County. Both drivers died at the scene of the crash, according to law enforcement officials. The investigation by state troopers aims to determine the factors that led to the head-on collision on the rural highway.
The university stated that their thoughts and prayers are with Owens’ family, his teammates, classmates, and all those who were blessed to know him. As the investigation continues, the Huntingdon community remains focused on supporting one another through this difficult time while honoring the memory of a student-athlete remembered for his kindness, respect, and dedication both on and off the football field.
