A Troy man was killed in a traffic accident late Saturday night, just minutes after escaping unharmed from a car wreck.

Lee Ramsey, 21, had been the passenger in a car driven by Dederick Dewayne Sims, 24, of Troy, when the 1991 Chevy ran through the intersection of Shellhorn Road and Shady Grove Road in Pike County and crashed into a tree.

The men escaped that wreck, apparently unharmed, said Trooper Tracy Nelson, public information officer for the Alabama State Troopers.

That accident occurred about 11:15 p.m., Nelson said. A few minutes later, the driver of another car spotted the accident and pulled across the road to check on the men. Reports have said the vehicle was stopped in the left lane of the road.

A third vehicle – a 1989 Pontiac driven by Sherman J. Williams, 46, of Troy – was traveling eastward on the road. "He apparently came up on the accident and his vehicle left the roadway and struck the driver and the passenger of the first car, who were standing on the side of the road," Nelson said. "We’re still investigating … but I can tell you that he left the roadway and struck these people."

Williams’ car traveled between 140 and 150 feet along the shoulder of the road before crashing into a tree, Nelson said.

Sims was transported to Edge Regional Medical Center for treatment; Ramsey was pronounced dead at the scene, said Pike County Coroner Jerry Williams. "It was his 21st birthday on Saturday," Williams said.

Nelson said Williams was charged with driving under the influence and troopers were continuing to investigate both accidents. More charges could be filed, he added.

However, Nelson said he could not release identifying information about the individual who had stopped to help the pair after the first wreck. "He wasn’t charged with any crime and wasn’t a victim," Nelson said.