By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

COLUMBIANA – A Shelby County grand jury will decide in the coming weeks if it will uphold reckless murder and drunken driving charges against a 35-year-old Calera man who has been charged with the death of a victim in a 2018 car crash in Alabaster.

The Alabaster Police Department arrested Allen Chase Harris, who lists an address on Shelby County 304 in Calera, on Jan. 31 and charged him with counts of reckless murder and driving under the influence of alcohol.

In early April, Shelby County Circuit Court Judge Daniel Crowson bound the two charges over to a grand jury, which will review the evidence in the case and determine if probable cause exists to uphold the charges against Harris.

Harris’ arrest came several weeks after a Dec. 9, 2018, vehicle crash on U.S. 31 in Alabaster, during which Harris was allegedly driving while intoxicated when he collided with another vehicle being driven by 42-year-old Chelsea resident Marchael Vick.

Court documents do not list Harris’ blood-alcohol level at the time of the crash.

Harris was released from the county jail the same day he was arrested after posting the more-than-$100,000 bond.

Reckless murder is a Class A felony. If convicted, Harris could face up to life in prison.