JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ala. (WBMA) — Human remains were found inside a vehicle in a ravine just off Lock 17 Road Wednesday afternoon, according to the Bessemer Police Department.
Police said a contractor who was installing utility poles discovered the vehicle at the bottom of the ravine.
Police said the vehicle was found to be related to a missing person case filed with the Bessemer Police Department in September 2022.
The Jefferson County Coroner has identified the man as 39-year-old Ricardo Carlos Jefferson, of Bessemer
Police said it is believed the vehicle was involved in a single-vehicle wreck, and the vehicle, for unknown reasons, left the roadway and struck a tree at the bottom of the ravine.
The police department is investigating the circumstances surrounding the missing person case and the wreck.