Teen driver in crash that killed Auburn announcer, wife charged with manslaughter

Auburn, Ala. — Police have charged a 16-year-old with two counts of manslaughter in the car crash that killed Auburn broadcaster Rod Bramblett and his wife.

A police statement says Johnston Edward Taylor, of Auburn, was arrested Monday in connection with the May 25 accident. Police say test results showed that Taylor was driving “well over” the 55 mph speed limit and had marijuana in his system at the time of the crash.

The 16-year-old had told police he didn't recall what happened just before the accident, scarcely a mile from Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium. The crash occurred just after 6 p.m. on a Saturday.

The 53-year-old Bramblett and his 52-year-old wife, Paula, died as a result of injuries from the crash.

Taylor was charged as an adult and arrested at his Auburn home with a $50,000 bond. An official with the Lee County Jail said Monday evening he had been released.

Bramblett had been Auburn’s football and men's basketball announcer since 2003, and had called baseball games since 1993.

The Brambletts had been together since high school. They are survived by two children, daughter Shelby, an Auburn student, and son Joshua.

Nearly 2,000 mourners and Auburn fans attended a public memorial for the Brambletts in May.