There are stories that stop you mid-scroll.
On April 11, 2026, a family drive through Lawrence County ended in a collision that took the lives of four people.
By the time the week was over, a fifth family member would be gone too. What remained was a community in mourning, a ten-year-old boy waking up alone, and a father whose words have since traveled across the state and beyond.
“Hug your kids a little tighter,” Josh Ballew told WZDX in an interview on April 13, 2026.
That was what he asked of strangers after losing his 13-year-old son, Bryant, in the crash that also killed the boy’s mother and two of his sisters.
In the days that followed, his plea took on the weight of something close to a prayer, offered not just for his own family but for every Alabama family that still has the chance to lean in a little closer.
What Happened at the Intersection of Highway 157 and Highway 24
The collision occurred at approximately 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 11, 2026, at the intersection of Alabama Highway 157 and Alabama Highway 24 in Moulton, according to information released by Moulton Mayor Ryan Jolly and later confirmed by Moulton Police Chief Craig Knight.
Chief Knight said three vehicles were involved in the wreck. A Ford F-150 traveling east on Highway 24 collided with a Chevrolet Suburban driven by 33-year-old Ashley Hagood, who was traveling north with her four children inside.
A second F-150, stopped in a turning lane on Highway 24, was not struck.
First responders arrived at the scene with confirmed entrapment. Ashley Hagood was rushed toward Huntsville Hospital, but she went into cardiac arrest on the way and was transported to Parkway Hospital in Decatur, where she was pronounced dead.
Two of her children, 13-year-old Bryant Ballew and 7-year-old Bryleigh Pledger, were pronounced dead at the scene.
The two surviving children, 10-year-old Bentley Pledger and Bryleigh’s twin sister Brynleigh, were airlifted to Children’s of Alabama in Birmingham in critical condition. The driver of the eastbound F-150 was taken to Huntsville Hospital with injuries and is expected to survive.
Key Details From the Investigation
As the investigation continued into the following week, Moulton officials and the Lawrence County Coroner’s Office confirmed several facts about the collision. Those facts help explain the scale of the tragedy even as the cause remains under review.
- The crash claimed five lives. Four people were confirmed dead by Saturday evening, and a fifth victim would pass away the following Wednesday.
- Three vehicles were involved. A 2021 Ford F-150, a 2021 Chevrolet Suburban, and a 2015 Ford F-150 stopped in a turning lane.
- No charges have been filed. As of the Moulton Police Department’s April 17 update, Chief Knight stated the crash remains under active investigation.
For a city the size of Moulton, a loss of this magnitude is something residents say they will carry for years. The community’s attention now turns to the ongoing investigation and to the family still trying to piece together what comes next.
A Mother, a 13-Year-Old Big Brother, and Twin Sisters
The names of the victims will be remembered long after the intersection reopens.
Ashley Hagood was 33 years old. Bryant Ballew was 13. Bryleigh Grace Pledger was 7. Her twin sister, Brynleigh Nell Pledger, was also 7 when she died at the Children’s Hospital in Birmingham on Wednesday, April 15, 2026.
Her family announced that her organs were donated to five patients before she was taken off life support. Her stepmother wrote on social media that no parent should have to feel the pain they were feeling, and that Brynleigh’s gifts meant five other parents would not have to.
Josh Ballew, Bryant’s father, spoke about his son with the particular tenderness of a parent who watched a boy grow into someone others could count on.
He told WZDX that Bryant was energetic, loved his dirt bike, loved his friends, and took his role as an older brother seriously. Bryant had recently handed out baby Jesus figurines to his classmates, a small act of faith his father wanted people to know about.
Bryant’s obituary remembered him as a proud big brother who did the job well.
It described a boy who loved baseball, motocross, hunting, and fishing, who was close with his stepbrother Hunter, who adored his grandparents, and who was the kind of student teachers hoped for, and the kind of athlete coaches dreamed of coaching.
Funeral services for Ashley Hagood and her twin daughters were held at First Methodist Church in Hartselle on Saturday, April 18, 2026. In lieu of flowers, the family asked that donations be made to plant a tree in the twins’ memory.
Stay Free Ministries, where Josh Ballew serves as pastor, has been raising money to support the Ballew family.
The Surviving Son Woke Up to a World Without His Family
Of all the painful details that have emerged in the days since the crash, one has been particularly difficult for the community to absorb.
Bentley Pledger, the 10-year-old who survived, was released from Children’s of Alabama on Friday, April 17, 2026. But returning home is not the same as returning to the life he knew.
In a social media update shared by relatives and reported by WZDX, the family described a boy who woke up in a hospital bed and could not remember what had happened. He only knew that his mother and his siblings were no longer there.
Brain injuries, emotional trauma, and grief all move at their own speed. For a child Bentley’s age, the recovery ahead will involve not just physical healing but the slower, quieter work of learning how to carry a loss of this size. His family has asked the public for continued prayers and support.
What the Family Has Shared About Bentley’s Condition
In the days following the crash, Bentley’s relatives used social media to keep friends and supporters updated on his condition. Their posts have painted a picture of a child who is physically recovering but emotionally shaken.
- He is awake and alert. The family confirmed Bentley regained consciousness and was responsive during his hospital stay.
- He is dealing with pain. Relatives said he is managing physical discomfort along with the emotional toll of the loss.
- He needs love and support. The family has asked for continued community care as Bentley begins a long road of healing.
For parents reading this from anywhere in Alabama, Bentley’s story is a reminder that the survivors of a crash often face a journey every bit as heavy as the one faced by the families of those who did not make it home.
What Families Facing a Loss Like This Need to Know
No article can soften the weight of what the Hagood, Ballew, and Pledger families are carrying. What it can do is quietly acknowledge something that every Alabama family deserves to understand.
When a crash takes a loved one or leaves a survivor with injuries that will shape their life going forward, the legal questions that follow matter.
Wrongful death claims, medical expenses, lost income, long-term care costs, and the emotional harm done to surviving family members are all things the law allows families to pursue.
In Alabama, wrongful death claims are filed by the personal representative of the deceased person’s estate.
Compensation awarded in these cases is distributed to heirs in accordance with state law. Survivors who are injured in a crash can also pursue claims for their own medical bills, pain and suffering, and long-term recovery costs. These cases take time, and they are rarely simple, but they exist for a reason.
For families who find themselves in the aftermath of a serious crash, the first days and weeks often feel impossible. There are funerals to plan, hospital rooms to sit in, children to comfort, and insurance adjusters already calling.
Knowing that a thoughtful advocate can step in and carry some of that weight is sometimes the difference between a family being overwhelmed and a family being supported.
You Don’t Have to Face the Aftermath Alone
Losing someone in a sudden traffic collision is a kind of pain that changes a family forever. No legal outcome will bring back what was taken on April 11, and no one here would pretend otherwise.
What our experienced car accident attorneys here at Baxley Maniscalco can offer is a steady presence during the moments when the weight of decisions starts to feel like too much.
We serve clients across the state of Alabama from our office in Oxford, and we handle cases involving serious injuries, wrongful death, and complex multi-vehicle collisions.
If your family is walking through a loss or a serious injury caused by a crash, we will listen first, explain your options clearly, and stand with you through whatever comes next.
Call (256) 770-7232 to speak with someone today, or reach out through our contact form to schedule a free injury consultation at a time that works for you.
