An Alabama mother is mourning the loss of her two sons after a horrific single-vehicle crash that also left their friend critically injured. The incident occurred early Wednesday morning when the trio sped out of a local gravel pit.
The Crash
Braxton Canterberry, 20, and Braden Canterberry, 17, along with an unidentified 18-year-old friend, were spotted by police speeding from a gravel pit on County Road 36 around 2 a.m. on Wednesday. Officers had been dispatched to the area following reports of teenagers drinking at the pit, according to ABC 33/40.
Moments later, police discovered the SUV crashed, with all three occupants ejected from the vehicle. The Canterberry brothers were pronounced dead at the scene, while their friend was airlifted to a Birmingham hospital in critical condition, AL.com reported.
Authorities emphasized that the crash was not the result of a police pursuit. Although officers activated their lights, they did not chase the vehicle.
Mother's Grief
The deaths have left the boys' mother, Brandy Mitchell-Canterberry, devastated. The mother of three described her sons as her entire world.
“These two boys were my world,” she told AL.com. “They were my reason for everything. I feel like I’m watching someone else’s life play out. Nothing seems real and I don’t know how it ever will again.”
Mitchell-Canterberry said the boys were deeply rooted in their local community, writing on Facebook that they were “raised with the same group of kids since birth.” She added, “Every family, every parent in this community feels this loss like it’s their own.”
Community Impact
The town of Brilliant, with a population of just 845, is located near the Alabama-Mississippi border. The close-knit community has been shaken by the tragedy.
Police continue to investigate the crash, and no further details have been released. Mitchell-Canterberry remembers her sons as smart, funny, and kind.
