Community mourns brothers lost in crash

BRILLIANT — The Brilliant community is mourning the loss of two young men after a vehicle accident that left a third in critical condition last Wednesday morning.
Braxton and Braden Canterberry, aged 20 and 17, respectively, of Brilliant, passed away on Wednesday morning, April 22. An 18-year-old, whose name has not been officially released, was airlifted to UAB with serious injuries. The accident occurred on County Highway 36 at around 2 that morning.
Brilliant Police Chief Skylar Handley, who did not release any of the victim’s names out of respect for them and their families, said deputies witnessed a silver Toyota 4runner traveling past them at high speeds as they were responding to a call at the Jasper Hill gravel pit.
The Brilliant Police Department put out an official statement later that day.
“We are deeply saddened to confirm that a serious motor vehicle crash in Brilliant...has resulted in two fatalities and one individual sustaining critical injuries,” the statement read. “Our thoughts are with the families, friends and those affected by this tragic accident.
“We want to clarify that this crash was not the result of a police pursuit,” the statement continued. “We ask the public to refrain from sharing rumors or unverified information. Doing so can harm the family, friends and hinder the investigation.”
Handley said the deputies turned on their lights when they saw the vehicle speeding, but did not initiate a pursuit. They found the vehicle a short time later on County Highway 36 after the crash had already occurred. All three occupants had been ejected from the vehicle during the crash.
“There was no police pursuit of that vehicle,” Handley said. “They lost sight of it after it came by them, and just a little bit later, as they were patrolling (County Highway) 36, was when they rolled up on the vehicle that had crashed.”
The cause of the crash is still under investigation by the Brilliant Police Department, and Handley said ALEA (Alabama Law Enforcement Agency) is assisting.
As of the Journal-Record’s weekly press deadline for this issue on Monday morning, April 27, the third occupant of the vehicle, who was airlifted to UAB with critical injuries, is still alive and is still in the hospital, according to Handley.
The Journal-Record will continue to cover this story as more information becomes official and public.