Trinity woman struck by fleeing driver in intensive care

March 07--A Trinity woman injured Friday in a head-on collision with a driver authorities say was fleeing police remains in intensive care at Huntsville Hospital, her husband said Tuesday, and he struggles to understand why police chased the suspect at such high speeds.

Bennie Cater, 74, of Trinity was driving her 2008 Lexus 350 westbound on Alabama 24/Gordon Terry Parkway when her vehicle was struck by a 2002 Cadillac Seville traveling the wrong way and operated by David Culliver, 38, of Sheffield, according to police. Both drivers and a passenger in the Cadillac were transported to Huntsville Hospital.

"She's still in the surgical trauma intensive care unit," Joe Cater, Bennie Cater's husband, said Tuesday afternoon. "She's in and out. She can communicate when we can get her awake, but there are so many things wrong with her they're still holding her in the surgical trauma intensive care unit. I've been up there since Friday night."

He said his wife sustained head injuries and didn't realize she was in the hospital until Tuesday.

Culliver was charged by Hillsboro police with reckless driving, driving 120 mph in a 65 mph zone, attempting to elude a law enforcement officer and driving with a revoked license, Hillsboro Police Chief Michael Taylor said Monday.

Joe Cater said he did not understand why police would chase Culliver at speeds that seemed likely to cause injuries to others.

"It was at a high speed and threatening the citizens of Decatur, and he's from all the way over in Hillsboro," Cater said of the Hillsboro police. "I'm very concerned about it. I want to call the chief of police down there in Hillsboro, but right now I'm in no position to talk to them. I need to be with my wife."

Taylor on Monday said one of his officers started pursuing the Cadillac on Alabama 20 in Hillsboro. When the officer turned around to begin pursuit, the Cadillac's lights were turned off, Taylor said.

As the chase began, Hillsboro police also learned from a radio report that North Courtland police were trying to locate a driver who had run through a traffic light, Taylor said.

The Cadillac almost hit another vehicle in Hillsboro and two more outside Hillsboro, said Taylor, and sideswiped an 18-wheeler at Alabama 20 and Beltline Road in Decatur.

Morgan County 911 was notified at 7:34 p.m. by Lawrence County dispatch that the vehicle chase was entering Decatur police jurisdiction, Decatur police said. Minutes later, 911 was notified of a head-on collision on Gordon Terry Parkway at the Alabama 67/Beltline off ramp, police said.

Taylor said the Cadillac had headed southbound on the Beltline, then crossed the median into the northbound lane and headed the wrong way up the ramp.

Decatur police said after going up the ramp at Alabama24/Gordon Terry Parkway, the Cadillac traveled the wrong way onto Alabama 24/Gordon Terry Parkway and hit the Lexus head-on.

Joe Cater said he talked to Culliver, who he said was released Monday, at Huntsville Hospital.

"I had a chance to see him face to face and talk with him," Cater said. "He said the reason he hit her head-on was because the police who were chasing him bumped his car, but I don't know if that's true or not. That's his story."

Taylor said Tuesday there was no impact between any Hillsboro police vehicle and Culliver's Cadillac, but he did not know if others were involved in the chase and, if so, whether they hit Culliver's vehicle.

"I can't answer for anybody else because I wasn't there," Taylor said. "The car my officer was driving did not bump him."

Taylor on Tuesday said Hillsboro police pursued Culliver into Decatur because he was driving erratically, but declined additional comment about the pursuit.

Cater said it was his understanding state troopers also were involved in the chase. Taylor said he did not know if that was the case. Troopers authorized to respond to the question were not available Tuesday afternoon.

Culliver has been charged with numerous traffic-related offenses on and off since 2003, according to court records.

In 2016, he pleaded guilty to a charge of attempting to elude when he ran into a building after a traffic stop in Colbert County. The same incident resulted in him being charged with driving while his license was revoked, operating a vehicle without insurance and failure to register a vehicle, according to Colbert County court records. He also was charged with marijuana possession and giving a false address to police.

In 2007, he was charged with driving with a revoked license in Limestone County.

In 2004, he was charged with driving with a revoked license, and without insurance, in Lauderdale County, and he faced the same charges in Colbert County in 2003, according to court records.

Culliver could not be reached for comment.

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-- eric@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2435. Twitter @DD_Fleischauer.

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