In the summer of 2020, a young man's life was tragically cut short on a Jefferson County interstate. Matthew Scott Sartin, a 22-year-old male from Pineville, Louisiana, was riding his motorcycle on Interstate 59 in June when he was struck and killed. The vehicle that hit him fled the scene, leaving behind a mystery for investigators.
Authorities later discovered an abandoned car approximately two miles from the crash site. This vehicle was eventually traced back to Franklin Nelson Edwards, who at one point served as the interim fire chief for Selma. The discovery of his car linked him directly to the fatal accident, leading to his arrest.
In a jury trial held at the Bessemer Cutoff Courthouse, Franklin Nelson Edwards faced charges related to the death of Matthew Scott Sartin. The jury ultimately acquitted Edwards of manslaughter. However, he was found guilty of leaving the scene of an accident involving a death or injury, a class-C felony. Following his conviction in March 2025, a judge sentenced him in April of the same year. The district attorney's office for the Bessemer Cutoff had indicated their intention to seek prison time.
