BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Two lives were lost in separate weekend traffic crashes in Birmingham, including that of a woman whose family had already endured unimaginable tragedy. The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office has identified the victims as 54-year-old Cheryl Denise Irby and 45-year-old Isaac L. Summers.
The first fatal crash occurred late Saturday night in the 2700 block of Ensley Five Points West Avenue. Authorities say Summers was driving when his vehicle struck a tree that had fallen into the roadway, likely due to stormy weather earlier in the evening. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 10:52 p.m. after emergency crews responded to the wreck.
Just hours later, a second tragedy unfolded. On Sunday at 2:14 p.m., Irby was involved in a multi-vehicle collision in Birmingham’s Kingston community. She was transported to UAB Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 3:09 p.m. The Birmingham Police Department is continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash, but additional details have not yet been released.
Irby’s death comes nearly eight years after another heartbreaking loss in her family. In 2017, her young grandson, Ron’Narius “Duke” Austin, was killed in a shooting in Birmingham’s Avondale neighborhood. The shooting occurred as the family was driving, and Duke’s mother and another man were also wounded. His father, who was also in the vehicle, was not injured.
In a past interview, Irby described the pain of that night. She rushed to Children’s of Alabama, where she remained by Duke’s side until he passed. “I kissed him and told him I loved him, but it was too late,’’ she said. “I was there when he was born, and I was there when he died. It’s devastating.”
Now, friends and family are left to grieve once again as they mourn Irby’s untimely passing. Both crash investigations remain ongoing, and authorities are asking anyone with information to come forward.
These tragic events serve as a somber reminder of how quickly lives can be lost on the road—and of the deep ripple effect each tragedy has on families and communities left behind.
