Rutledge building wall collapse blocks Highway 10

Traffic through Rutledge on U.S. Highway 10 was halted Tuesday afternoon by what appears to be a weather-related explosion.

At approximately 3:15 p.m. on July 16, Amber Olney, a clerk at the Rutledge Post Office reported debris in the road to local law enforcement. The incident occurred on Lee Street, directly across from the Rutledge Post Office.

A warehouse building wall had collapsed, spreading bricks and rubble across the highway and into the post office parking lot. The collapse resulted in a temporary road block, detours and traffic delays.

Rutledge Mayor Steve Phillips was on the scene with town equipment to remove debris from the roadway.

“As far as I can tell, it had to be a lightning strike,” Phillips said.

The building, owned by Jud Flint’s family, was once a warehouse for Thaggard Mercantile.

“They’re telling me it was a lightning strike,” Flint said. “The warehouses were originally built for storage for the mercantile. My grandparents built the store many years ago.”

Becky Flint was home at the time and thought she heard a “boom.”

“I didn’t know what it was,” Becky said. “I heard a boom, looked out the door and traffic was pretty much stopped. I came out to check and the front of the building was gone.”

Troopers with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) and officers with the Luverne Police Department reported almost immediately and diverted traffic while the scene was cleared. By approximately 3:40 p.m. the road had been reopened.

Olney took to social media to let community members know to avoid the area.

“I came out and there were bricks all over the road,” Olney said. “I called my boss and he said, ‘Call the police.’ So, I called the police.”

In a simultaneous incident, a tree fell and blocked Highway 10, compounding traffic issues in the area. The blockage led to substantial delays for commuters and required additional resources to clear the roadway.

Phillips said the tree had been removed and the roadway was completely opened by 5 p.m. The Rutledge Post Office remained operational, though residents were advised to use alternative routes while cleanup efforts continued.

“I would like to thank Amber Olney, the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT), County Engineer Michelle Royals, the City of Luverne, the Luverne and Rutledge Volunteer Fire Departments, Commissioner Bo Mount and several Rutledge citizens who came out to help,” Phillips said.

Local officials are investigating the cause of the explosion. The building was unoccupied and no injuries have been reported at this time.

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