On a tragic evening in Homewood, Alabama, the life of 42-year-old Robyn Naftel Herring, a beloved mother and dedicated nurse practitioner, was cut short. On April 26, 2021, Herring was driving with her two young daughters and her boyfriend when their vehicle was struck at an intersection. The catastrophic collision was the result of a police chase that began when a Vestavia Hills police officer attempted a traffic stop. The driver of the other vehicle fled, leading to a high-speed pursuit that ended in the fatal crash on Lakeshore Parkway.
The suspect, identified as 28-year-old Jordan Markice Ricks, abandoned his vehicle after it jumped a median and crashed into Herring's Jeep Wrangler. He fled the scene on foot, prompting a manhunt. The community was left in mourning for a woman described as a bright and beautiful person who was active in her church and cherished the outdoors. Her sudden death devastated her family, friends, and the Homewood community, who rallied in support of her two orphaned daughters.
A few days later, on April 29, 2021, authorities apprehended Jordan Markice Ricks in Tuscaloosa. He was taken into custody following a brief negotiation with a SWAT team at an apartment complex. Ricks was subsequently charged with murder and leaving the scene of an accident.
Ultimately, Jordan Ricks pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of reckless manslaughter. Information from a petition for his resentencing indicates he was sentenced to 17 years in prison. The petition argues that Ricks fled from the police due to post-traumatic stress disorder stemming from a prior negative encounter with the same police department. He is currently incarcerated, while a community continues to feel the loss of Robyn Naftel Herring.
