Single vehicle accident claims life of Fayette man

A single-vehicle crash that occurred in the pre-dawn hours of Thursday, Oct. 31, has claimed the life of a Fayette man. According to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), Thomas Bellsnyder IV, 32, was fatally injured when the 2009 Chevrolet Equinox he was driving left the roadway and struck a tree. Bellsnyder was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash and was pronounced dead at the scene. The passenger in the Chevrolet Equinox, Jennifer L. Chaney Franks, 36, of Fayette, was injured and airlifted to UAB Hospital in Birmingham for treatment. The crash occurred on Co. Rd. 35 near Canaan Road, approximately six miles South of Fayette. The crash is under investigation by the ALEA. The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, Stonewall Volunteer Fire Department and Fayette Fire Department also assisted at the scene.