The Lee County Coroner has confirmed that Rod Bramblett, the Voice of Auburn, and his wife Paula both died in a traffic accident.

The accident occurred at around 6:00 p.m. on Saturday when emergency responders came to a motor vehicle crash on Shug Jordan Parkway at the intersection of West Samford Avenue.  A 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee struck the rear of a 2017 Toyota Highlander, leading to two fatalities.

At 12:15 a.m., Lee County Coroner Bill Harris confirmed that the two reported fatalities in the accident were Bramblett and his wife, Paula.

Originally an Auburn alumnus, Bramblett received a Bachelor’s in political science with a minor in history and graduated in 1988.

He went on to work as a broadcaster at WAUD from 1989 to 1991, then returned in 1993 to 1996, delivering play by plays at games.

During this time, starting in 1993, Bramblett became the Voice of Auburn, beginning with the Auburn Baseball Team. Since 2003, Bramblett has also been in charge of play by play duties for football and men’s basketball.

Bramblett also hosted the Auburn Football Review on television and served as a producer of the two television shows Auburn Football Every Day and Auburn Basketball Review.

The longtime broadcaster and sports commentator was a three-time winner (2006, 2010, 2013) of the Alabama State Broadcaster of the Year as presented by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. In 2013, he was also named National Broadcaster of the Year by Sports Illustrated.

Paula was also an employee of Auburn University, who worked in the Information Technology Department, according to the University, the two were high school sweethearts.

The Brambletts are survived by their two children, Shelby and Joshua. While the community has lost so much in this tragic accident, the Bramblett family has lost even more.