FROM STAFF REPORTS

A Harpersville woman was killed in a single-vehicle crash on the afternoon of Oct. 20.

Shirley L. Middleton, 62, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, which happened on U.S. 280 one mile west of Chelsea at 2 p.m., according to an Alabama State Troopers press release.

Middleton was driving a 2003 Buick Regal, which left the roadway on the right side and overturned, the release read.

No more information about the accident is available as Alabama State Troopers continue the investigation.

Middleton was an involved member of the Shelby County community. She was a retired Shelby County Schools teacher and assistant principal. She also taught Sunday school at her church, Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church.

“She was an inspiration to so many students and was the reason a lot of her students finished school,” a news release from the town of Harpersville read.

Middleton was a member of the first Leadership Shelby County class and served as a Harpersville town councilwoman for more than 28 years.

“Miss Middleton dedicated her life to the service of the community,” the release read. “She served on the Harpersville City Council for over 28 years and was the first African American woman to serve on a city council in Shelby County.”

“Miss Shirley L. Middleton was an exceptional individual, and extraordinary teacher, loved and respected by colleagues and students alike, described as intelligent, passionate and gentle,” Harpersville Mayor Theoangelo Perkins wrote in the release. “She was an inspiration to her students and touched the lives of many.”