CHILDERSBURG, Ala. – Preston Bowen, age 17 and a 2022 graduate of Sylacauga High School, was killed and his older brother Tanner was seriously injured in a single-vehicle accident on Coleman Bridge Rd., two miles east of Childersburg, at approx. 10:42 p.m. on Saturday, June 25.
According to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, their 2005 Dodge Ram left the roadway and struck a tree.
Tanner Bowen, 19 years old, was home on leave from the U.S. Army and is being treated at UAB Hospital in Birmingham.
“On Saturday night, our family was forever changed when two of our sons were involved in a serious car accident,” parents Melissa and Robert Bowen told Sylacauga City Schools. “That night, we lost our beloved son, Preston, who just graduated from Sylacauga High School in May. Our oldest son, Tanner (Class of 2021) and home on leave from the military, was critically injured with a very long road ahead for recovery. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers for our family during this difficult time.”
A GoFundMe account has been established to help the family with funeral, medical, travel, and hotel expenses. Sylacauga High School counselors and staff are available to offer assistance and support as students grieve the loss of their classmate and pray for the recovery of his brother.
Troopers with the ALEA’s Highway Patrol Division are continuing to investigate.
Curtis & Son Funeral Home in Sylacauga is coordinating services for Preston Bowen, and arrangements are pending.
