No one outside of the couple knows what Alabama sports reporter Natalie Pierre Williams and her husband Chasten Leigh Williams were arguing about but whatever it was may have led Natalie, 26, to drive off the road.
When her husband realized no one was hurt in the minor car accident, he says he walked away, given their argument. But what happened next was much worse than the initial accident. According to the NY Daily News, Alabama authorities now believe Natalie deliberately set her the car on fire with her inside.
The NY Daily News reports:
Surveillance video from a nearby convenience store shows Williams buying a gallon of gasoline, a two-gallon gas container and a wand-style lighter moments before the fire was discovered.
The melted items were found in or around her vehicle after the fiery wreck, authorities said.
Police say Williams caused the blaze herself and authorities will not be pursuing any criminal charges.
Neither she or her husband were hurt in the initial small crash, which caused minor front-end damage.
It’s still unclear what caused Williams to steer away from the road, police said.
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“We still don’t know exactly what prompted her actions that night but it appears there were a lot of emotions involved and sometimes actions and decisions are not responsible during those type moments,” Police Capt. Gregg Rector toldAL.com.
Williams last month was placed on a ventilator while in critical condition, according to a GoFundMe page.
AL.com says she has been making strides in her recovery and has been alert and talking over the past few weeks.
The journalist received her Master’s degree in broadcast and digital journalism from Syracuse University in 2011, she wrote on her website.
The Florida-native covers the Southeastern Conference for the Alabama Media Group, which also includes The Birmingham News and The Huntsville Times.
“It is the hope of the Hoover Police and Fire Department that the victim is able to have a full recovery,” the Hoover Police Department said in a statement Wednesday.
“We urge everyone to please offer encouragement and support, not judgment, to this family in their time of need.”
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