Snead and Cullman communities mourning the loss of 2 men killed in Smith Lake boat crash
CULLMAN COUNTY, Ala. (WIAT) — A fatal boat crash on Smith Lake claimed three lives Wednesday morning, impacting two central Alabama communities. The crash occurred during a Major League Fishing tournament.
According to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, 58-year-old Joey Broom was killed when the boat he was on was struck by a nitro bass boat. Broom was a city council member in Snead.
44-year-old Kelly Clark, of Cullman, and 62-year-old Jeffrey Little, of Mississippi, were thrown overboard from the boat that was struck. ALEA said their bodies were recovered near the Miller Flats area of Smith Lake.
Major League Fishing confirmed that Flint Davis, one of the tournament's competing anglers, was involved in the crash.
A memorial wreath now stands outside the entrance of Snead's town hall, where Broom served as a council member.
Greg Ogles, Broom's good friend and fellow council member, believes Broom was out on a guided fishing tour.
'The world just lost a real good, a real good person, and if everybody in the world was like him, we wouldn't have no problems,' Ogles said.
All Properties of Alabama realtor Stephanie Buchanan worked with Clark.
'If you talked to a lot of people that knew him, it's like everybody felt like he was their best friend. He was that kind of guy,' Buchanan said. 'He was just a wonderful guy, one of the good ones.'
The crash remains under investigation by ALEA's Marine Patrol Division.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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