By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

The driver of a late-model Saturn was transported to Shelby Baptist Medical Center with non life-threatening injuries after the vehicle crashed into a ditch on U.S. 31.

The single-vehicle wreck happened at about 1 p.m. on June 6 when the vehicle left the road and crashed into a ditch near the Shelby Motor Lodge in Alabaster. The back end of the vehicle was suspended in the air while emergency responders loaded the driver into the ambulance.

The driver’s name was not released. Alabaster police were forced to close the outside lane of U.S. 31 while crews loaded the vehicle onto a wrecker.

In addition to the Alabaster police and fire departments, Regional Paramedical Services also responded to the wreck.