Ex-Auburn Coach's Campaign Bus Catches Fire on AL Interstate

A bus from Tommy Tuberville’s U.S. Senate campaign caught fire tonight on Interstate 59 in northeast Alabama.

No injuries were reported in the incident. Tuberville was not on the bus when the fire started around 8 p.m.

The bus was traveling along I-59 near Hammondville, a tiny DeKalb County town about 10 miles from the Georgia state line. Paul Shashy, Tuberville’s campaign manager, said the fire started during a test drive shortly after maintenance.

Tyler Pruett, a spokesman for the DeKalb County sheriff, said the cause of the fire is unknown.

“We don’t suspect any kind of foul play,” Pruett said.

The northbound lanes of the interstate near mile marker 227 were shut down Wednesday night. Pruett said the bus was believed to be a total loss.

Tuberville is seeking the Republican nomination for Alabama’s junior seat in the U.S. Senate. Tuberville, the former Auburn football coach, faces former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions in a runoff on July 14. The Republican nominee will challenge Democrat Doug Jones, who currently holds the Senate seat.

“Coach Tuberville’s candidacy has obviously caught fire with voters...and our bus has, too,” Shashy, the campaign manager, said in a message to AL.com. “We are thankful that no one was hurt in the incident and for the remarkable first responders who assisted immediately.”

AL.com’s Mike Cason contributed to this report.

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