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BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- A Kimberly police officer died this afternoon following an Aug. 1 vehicle wreck that left him with severe head injuries.

Jarrod "Stork" Stathers, a Kimberly police officer and a lieutenant with the Trussville Fire Department, died about 12:15 p.m., said Craig Harris, Kimberly mayor.

On Aug. 1, Stathers and his family were returning to Birmingham from a vacation when a tire blew and Stathers lost control of the vehicle he was driving near Prattville on Interstate 65. His son, Shane Stathers, 8, was killed in the wreck.

Kristy Stathers, his wife, survived the wreck with minor injuries.
She recently wrote her husband a message on the Facebook page "Prayers for Jarrod (Stork) Stathers."

"The moment I met you, I knew I'd love you forever. The moment I saw you, I knew I would never look away. I love you, forever and always."

Harris said that Stathers never fully regained consciousness. He was transferred to UAB Hospital after the accident, where he died today.
Law enforcement agencies and fire departments across metro Birmingham have rallied around the family, raising money for funeral and medical expenses. At least one memorial concert will be held in Kimberly, Harris said. The dates of that concert have not been announced.

Stathers is also survived by a son, Krys Stathers, 20.