Alabama Department of Public Safety

Name:  Jared Lane Rhea
Date of Birth:  11/01/1983
Date of Death:  03/08/2006
Home Town:  Bessemer
State:  AL
Location of Crash:  Shelby County, County Road 22
Jared was an intelligent, warm and caring person. He always had a big smile on his face and a kind word for his friends.

He was a senior at the University of Montevallo majoring in Business Marketing with a minor in Spanish. He loved foreign language and travel. He had a very bright future. It was cut short at age 22. He was traveling back to his apartment when he was involved in a one-car accident which took his life. He was not wearing his seat belt. We are convinced that he would have survived the crash if he had been belted. He was thrown from the car, which was equipped with many safety features that would have been activated upon seat belt being fastened.

Our message to everyone is to fasten your seat belt. Do not let Jared's death be in vain. Jared was raised at a time when he was cautioned daily to fasten his seat belt. It only takes one time to forget.

Jared was an only child. Words cannot express our loss.