A 19-Year-Old from Muscle Shoals is Charged With Manslaughter After a Fatal Collision

A 19-year-old from Muscle Shoals is being charged with manslaughter after a fatal collision in January. On Tuesday, June 17th, officers were able to secure an arrest warrant for Frederic Jason Rider, according to the Muscle Shoals Police Department. Due to his role in a collision that resulted in the death of Florence resident Trennon Wade Putnam, 58, police say Rider has been the focus of the traffic homicide investigation. On January 21st, at around 6:25 AM, Muscle Shoals Police were called to a crash site on Wilson Dam Road, just south of the railroad overpass. Officers arrived on the site, evaluated the accident’s seriousness, and informed the Muscle Shoals Police Department’s Traffic Homicide Investigators, according to the police. Investigators found that when Rider’s 2017 Dodge Journey SXT collided with Putnam’s 2018 Ford Mustang GT, he was heading north on Wilson Dam Road. Then a 2019 Freightliner struck both automobiles. According to the police, Rider was transferred to Huntsville Hospital and was listed as critical due to the seriousness of injuries. Colbert County Coroner Justin Gasque declared Putnam deceased on the scene. On-scene fire and medical professionals treated others involved. According to police, detectives were able to secure an arrest warrant for Rider after concluding that the incident was caused in part by Rider’s high speed and blood test results indicating that he was under the influence of multiple controlled substances. Rider was transported to Colbert County Jail where he was booked and released on a $50,000 bond.