Staff Writer

Friends and relatives are mourning the standout athlete from Goshen who died in a traffic accident hours into the holiday weekend.

Tomaras Lamon Deveridge, 22, of Goshen was killed in a head-on collision on U.S. 231 about 500 feet south of the Troy city limits, according to Alabama State Troopers’ Dothan post. The accident occurred about 8:10 p.m.

Deveridge,1997 graduate of Goshen High School, was the son of Tommy and Joyce Deveridge. The highly-recognized student athlete was honored his senior year at the J.O. "Tip" Colley Scholarship Athletic Banquet. He was also named to The Messenger’s 1997 All-County High School Baseball Team on the first team as a utility player. The four-year letterman in baseball, also earned letters in basketball and cross country at GHS.

He was also a graduate of the Troy State University Masters Program and was employed at Small Loans of Troy.

Shemeka Dixon remembers her co-worker and high school classmate as "an all-around person" who was friendly to everyone.

"He never met a stranger," Dixon said. "I don’t think there was anyone who didn’t know him."

His friendliness, she said, was part of his charm.

"There’s nothing bad that could said about him," Dixon said of Deveridge.

Troopers said Deveridge, who was driving a 2001 Mercury, was not wearing a seatbelt.

Robert L. Sturdivant, 40, of York, the driver of a 1999 Volvo Tractor was not injuried.

The accident is under investigation by Trooper T. Phillips.

A second fatality, which also occurred Wednesday night, was reported in Baldwin County.

The Alabama Department of Public Safety had predicted 16 people would die on Alabama roadways during the 102-hour Thanksgiving travel period, which begin at 6 p.m. Wednesday and ends at midnight Sunday.

The last fatality in Pike County was on Oct. 8 when Jason Blake Carnley was killed in a one-vehicle accident on Brown’s Mill Road, off U.S. 29 south of Troy.

Carnley, 14, was driving a pickup truck when the vehicle ran off the dirt road and overturned, partially ejecting the teen and killing him on impact. He was not wearing a seatbelt.