19-year-old arrested for manslaughter following deadly wreck in Muscle Shoals

A Muscle Shoals 19-year-old is facing a manslaughter charge following a deadly wreck in January.

According to the Muscle Shoals Police Department, officers obtained an arrest warrant for Frederic Jason Rider on Tuesday. 

Police say Rider has been the center of a traffic homicide investigation for his involvement in a collision that caused the death of 58-year-old Trennon Wade Putnam, of Florence.

At approximately 6:25 a.m. on Jan. 21, Muscle Shoals Police officers were called to the scene of a wreck, just south of the railroad overpass on Wilson Dam Road. Police say officers arrived on scene, assessed the severity of the accident, and notified the Muscle Shoals Police Department Traffic Homicide Investigators.

Investigators determined Rider was traveling northbound on Wilson Dam Road when the 2017 Dodge Journey SXT he was driving collided with a 2018 Ford Mustang GT driven by Putnam. Both vehicles were then struck by a 2019 Freightliner.

Police say Rider was taken to Huntsville Hospital for his injuries and listed as critical.

Putnam was pronounced dead on the scene by Colbert County Coroner Justin Gasque.

Others involved were treated by Fire and medical personnel on scene.

Police say investigators obtained the warrant for Rider's arrest after determining Rider’s excessive speed, combined with blood test results showing Rider to be under the influence of various controlled substances, were all contributing factors at the time of the collision.

Rider was transported to the Colbert County Jail where he was booked and released on a $50,000 bond.