David Terry Obituary Florence Alabama Longtime deputy sheriff has died: Tuesday afternoon, a long-serving Lauderdale County deputy lost his life in a car accident near Florence. The director of prisons for the county, Deputy David Terry, was killed in an automobile accident when he was not on duty, according to Lauderdale County Sheriff Joe Hamilton.
According to Florence police, the incident occurred near the junction of Florence Boulevard and Sweetwater Avenue at around 4:08 p.m. and claimed the life of Dawn Buchanan, 57, of Florence. Authorities claim that as Buchanan was heading east on Florence Boulevard, a car approaching from Sweetwater Avenue neglected to surrender the right-of-way. Buchanan lost control of her car when she swerved. Terry’s car and Buchanan’s vehicle collided after Buchanan’s vehicle crossed the median and entered the Florence Boulevard westbound lanes.
Lauderdale Coroner Kim Jones declared Terry and Buchanan dead at the spot. According to Hamilton’s online obituary, Terry was a 26-year law enforcement veteran. His wife and three children survive him. According to Hamilton, “Deputy Terry was scheduled to retire in July and had submitted his retirement paperwork recently.” “Please remember in your prayers Deputy Terry’s family, as well as the men and women who served with him for a long time.”
Terry stated on Facebook in April that he had worked as a prison officer, sergeant, patrol deputy, transport deputy, investigator, and courthouse security throughout his four years of service under sheriffs. He expressed his desire to miss his “county family.”
“I consider my career to have been a blessing,” Terry wrote.
“Some of Alabama’s finest deputies, corrections officers, and municipal officers are among those I’ve worked with. Over the course of these 26 years, I hope that my work has had a good effect on Lauderdale County’s residents. I’m sure I’ll miss working the athletic events, visiting our schools, policing the roadways, and helping the people in our county.
“I hope that I was able to impart some information to the men and women that worked with me throughout my time in supervision. I could spend hours writing about all the people who have influenced both my life and career from here. He stated, “I thank all of our current employees for the memories and friendships and wish them a safe and enjoyable career.”
The event was also attended to by Lifeguard EMS, Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office, and Florence Fire. Anyone who saw the collision is asked to call Florence police at (256) 760-6561.