Second death within 13 months in front of Carrolton Town Hall

PICKENS COUNTY, Ala. (WBRC) – A Pickens County mayor says a second person has died outside Carrolton City Hall. The mayor is renewing a call to reopen the emergency room at the closed Pickens County Hospital so help can be provided more quickly in an emergency situation.

According to the mayor, the victim was an elderly man in his 80s. The mayor said the man’s daughter drove to the town hall, ran inside and begged for help. An ambulance arrived very quickly, but it was too late.

“When I saw the red car, I looked and something had happened,” says Christine Throw.

Christine Throw observed the entire situation in front of Carrolton Town Hall around 3 p.m. on Monday: An elderly man was in a medical crisis.

“I don’t know what came to mind, but when I saw him collapse, something told me, whoever that is, he’s gone,” says Throw.

“How many times does this have to happen?” asks Mayor Mickey Walker.

Frustrated Carrolton Mayor Mickey Walker has already reached out to state leaders again, asking them to focus on Pickens County Hospital, which closed in 2020 due to lack of funding.

A very similar case occurred last May when a woman suffered a medical emergency while driving her car. She parked in front of City Hall, got out and collapsed on the sidewalk. The woman died.

“What frustrates me is the question of whether we can send billions to Ukraine. Why can’t we help the people here?” asks Mayor Walker.

Mayor Walker estimated that it would take about $10 million to reopen the emergency room and bring it up to standard. Efforts in the Alabama Legislature failed, but the mayor says he has no intention of giving up.

“Two people died in front of the town hall. They don’t know what else to do. They are looking for help. We can’t do anything. We are not qualified,” he says.

“The reason this affects me so much is because I feel like we just have a hospital or something,” Throw says. “This is not acceptable. We are supposed to be the strongest country in the world and to me this is the weakest thing I have ever seen.”

Out of respect for the family, the mayor declined to disclose the name of the deceased man.

This is the second death in front of the town hall in the last 13 months.

Representative Ron Bolton says this is an issue “that they talk about every week. It’s also about looking for revenue streams to make the whole thing work.”

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