TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — A former astronaut who flew five missions and helped lead NASA back into space after the space shuttle Columbia disaster is charged with murder after a wreck early Monday morning n early morning wreck that killed two girls in Alabama, state troopers said.
James Halsell Jr., 59, of Huntsville was arrested after a crash killed 11-year-old Niomi Deona James and 13-year-old Jayla Latrick Parler of Brent on Monday early Monday, said a statement from Reginal King, a spokesman for Alabama state troopers.
Troopers said a Chrysler 300 driven by Halsell collided with a Ford Fiesta in which the girls were passengers. Both victims were ejected from the vehicle and died.
Two adults who were in the car suffered injuries and were hospitalized.
A preliminary investigation indicated alcohol and speed may have been factors in the crash, said the statement by King. The wreck happened at 2:50 a.m. on U.S. 82, a rural highway east of Tuscaloosa.
Court records weren't available Tuesday to show whether Halsell, a retired Air Force colonel, has a lawyer. A message left at a home telephone number wasn't immediately returned.
An online biography by NASA said Halsell went to work in the aerospace industry in 2006 after a career that included five shuttle flights starting in July 1994.
Selected as an astronaut in 1990, Halsell spent more than 1,250 hours in space. The Louisiana native and one-time test pilot commanded three shuttle flights and served as pilot on two others, according to the space agency.
Halsell led NASA's return-to-flight planning team for the space shuttle after Columbia disintegrated during re-entry in 2003.
Following his retirement from NASA a decade ago, Halsell worked for ATK Launch Systems, Utah, according to his NASA biography.
