In a tragic incident that has left the Homewood community in mourning, a 35-year-old landscaper lost his life on Friday, April 4, 2025, in a devastating lawnmower accident along Interstate 65. The victim, identified Monday morning as Christopher Tovaris Collins of Trussville, Alabama, was pronounced dead at the scene after the riding mower he was operating overturned on a steep embankment. The accident occurred around 1:37 p.m. near the northbound off-ramp at Oxmoor Road, an area known for its challenging terrain and heavy traffic. For those who knew Collins or witnessed the aftermath, the suddenness of this loss has cast a somber shadow over an otherwise ordinary spring day.

The Homewood Police Department responded swiftly to a 9-1-1 call reporting the incident, arriving to find Collins lifeless beneath the overturned equipment. Witnesses described a harrowing scene: the mower, which Collins had been driving up the incline, appeared to lose stability on the sharp slope, flipping over and trapping him underneath. Medics from the Homewood Fire Department were summoned to the site, but despite their efforts, they could do little more than confirm the landscaper’s death at 1:47 p.m. The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office later took custody of Collins’ body, marking the beginning of an official investigation into the precise circumstances that led to this fatal mishap.

Collins was not a stranger to the area or the task at hand. Employed by a private landscaping company contracted by the City of Homewood, he was part of a crew tasked with maintaining the grassy medians and embankments along the state right-of-way near I-65. This particular stretch, between the highway and the Oxmoor Road exit, is notoriously steep—a detail that has since raised questions about the safety of operating heavy machinery in such conditions. According to statements from the police, Collins had been attempting to navigate the mower up the embankment when the accident occurred. The equipment rolled multiple times down the incline, an event that unfolded in mere seconds but left an indelible mark on those who saw it happen.

Authorities have not yet released the name of the landscaping company involved, though they confirmed it was a private entity hired to assist with municipal upkeep. Evidence technicians from the Homewood Police Department spent hours processing the scene, combing through the wreckage for clues that might explain whether mechanical failure, human error, or the terrain itself played the decisive role. Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates noted that Collins’ death was instantaneous, a small mercy amidst the tragedy. The investigation remains ongoing, with officials promising a thorough review to determine if additional safety measures could have prevented this outcome.

For the residents of Homewood and the broader Jefferson County area, this incident serves as a stark reminder of the risks faced by workers who maintain the public spaces often taken for granted. Collins, a Trussville native, leaves behind a community grappling with grief and a renewed awareness of the fragility of life. As the police continue their work, there is a collective hope that answers will emerge—not just for closure, but to ensure that no other family endures such a sudden and preventable loss. The grassy median where Collins spent his final moments, now silent, stands as a poignant testament to a life cut short in the line of duty.