Young life lost

John Willoughby, ECB Publishing, Inc.

Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) troopers and local first responders sped to the scene of a multi-vehicle pile-up on Interstate 10 on Thursday, Aug. 15, at approximately 9 p.m. One Monticello resident is dead after an alleged wrong-way driving incident claimed his life and also injured a Madison County resident.

Five vehicles were involved in the pile-up at the Interstate 10 mile marker 240, around the overpass that sees traffic over Highway 150, in Greenville. According to a report by the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), 21-year-old Samuel M. Shiver, of Monticello, was traveling the wrong way in the inside eastbound lane of Interstate 10. Traveling east in the eastbound inside lane, was also Susan Maultsby, of Madison.

While Shiver continued to drive his 2002 Toyota Camry the wrong way up the eastbound lane, Maultsby was unable to avoid a collision with Shiver's vehicle, resulting in a head-on collision. Both vehicles came to a rest in the inside eastbound lane of the roadway.

After the collision, Shiver attempted to exit the vehicle but was struck by a 2012 Dodge Ram, driven by Iowa-resident Michael Strohbehn. After striking Shiver, Strohbehn's Dodge Ram also collided with the left side of Shiver's Toyota Camry and then collided with two parked vehicles that were located on the south shoulder: a 2019 Honda Accord driven by Taiki Williams, 32, of Orlando, Fla.; and a 2019 GMC Yukon, driven by Christopher Miller, 41, of Port St. Lucie, Fla.

Strohbehn's vehicle came to a final rest, jack-knifed with its occupied horse trailer, just east of the wreckage in the inside lane of Interstate 10.

Shiver was pronounced dead at the scene and Madison-resident Susan Maultsby was transported to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital with serious, but non-life threatening injuries.

The incident, which closed both eastbound lanes, caused traffic to back up for miles on Interstate 10. Both lanes were opened at approximately 6 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 16, after being closed for nine hours.

Alcohol has not been ruled out and is pending investigation.

The scene was investigated by Trooper W. Dixon and FHP Homicide Investigator Corporal K. Shipman. FHP was assisted by the Madison County Sheriff's Office, Madison Fire Department, Madison County Fire Rescue, Hamburg-Lovett Volunteer Fire Department and Sirmans Volunteer Fire Department.