Truck Driver Charged With Murder After Multi-Vehicle DUI Crash Kills College Football Player on I-65

LIMESTONE COUNTY, Ala. — Shocking new crash reports from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) detail a deadly string of wrecks involving an 18-wheeler on May 6, culminating in the death of Austin Peay football player William Hardrick and resulting in multiple felony charges against the truck driver, John W. McAdams.
According to ALEA, McAdams has been charged with murder, two counts of leaving the scene of an accident with injury, and driving under the influence, stemming from a series of four crashes on Interstate 65 that day.
Timeline of Crashes:
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Mile Marker 362: The first wreck occurred when McAdams’ semi struck a Nissan Sentra twice before the car exited the highway.
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Mile Marker 356: McAdams’ 18-wheeler rear-ended Hardrick’s Chevrolet Impala, forcing it off the road where it hit a fence, guardrail, and ultimately overturned. The car came to rest on Piney Chapel Road. Hardrick died at the scene.
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Mile Marker 353: The semi then hit a Lexus, partially overriding the vehicle’s rear bumper.
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Mile Marker 346 (near Huntsville Brownferry Road): In the final reported wreck, McAdams rear-ended a Ford Bronco as it was changing lanes.
DUI Details:
During a court hearing on Tuesday, a trooper testified that McAdams admitted to drinking tequila from a water bottle while stopped at mile marker 365 to "rest." He later failed field sobriety tests, and a breathalyzer test at the Limestone County Jail showed a BAC of 0.09.
McAdams told investigators that after waking up, he got back on the road but could not recall specific details of the crashes. ALEA confirmed that his truck was involved in collisions both before and after the fatal crash involving Hardrick.
The case has prompted outrage and grief, especially from the Austin Peay State University community, where Hardrick was a standout student-athlete.
McAdams remains in custody as the investigation continues.
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