United Parcel Service tandem tractor trailer truck lost control and turned over blocking all westbound traffic on I-64 in Morehead, KY on October 3, 2011. Photo credit: Morehead Fire Department

Morehead is located in Rowan County, Kentucky in the northeastern part of the state about 66 miles northeast of Lexington, 105 miles southeast of Covington and about 69 miles northeast of Richmond.

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The accident occurred on I-64 near mile marker 139 around 10:27 a.m. in the morning when a United Parcel Service truck that was traveling westbound in the right lane when another vehicle passed him too close on the left and nearly struck the front of the truck.

Map showing location of UPS semi truck accident on I-64 in Morehead, KY on October 3, 2011 near mile marker 139.

The trucker quickly swerved to the right to avoid a collision but was already in the far right lane now going into the shoulder so he swerved to the left and the truck overturned and skidded to a stop.

Dig marks were evident off the right shoulder where the rig’s tires dug into the grassy ground under the pressures of the load and the inertia the driver had to overcome.

The rig was a tandem tractor trailer so it was pretty long and when it was laying on its side it completely blocked all westbound lanes of the Interstate.

The driver was injured in the accident, but fortunately, his injuries were not life threatening. It was also fortunate that no other vehicles were involved in the crash and no one else was hurt plus there was no fuel leakage or hazardous materials involved.

The UPS truck driver was identified as 51 year-old Stephen L. Reynolds, who was transported to St. Claire Regional Medical Center, only about 5 miles away in Morehead.

The mishap shut down the Interstate for hours while investigators and rescue personnel worked to treat the driver and to determine how the accident happened. The trucker told police that a car cut him off.

UPS had to bring in another vehicle to unload the trailers so the parcels could continue on with their deliveries. That took a couple of hours to put together.

Westbound traffic was diverted at the Olive Hill exit (exit 156) and given an alternate route around the accident before meeting up with the I-64 again. All told, the Interstate was shut down from early morning to late afternoon and early into the evening, causing some inconvenience for travelers.

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On Friday morning two semi trailer trucks were traveling in opposite directions on Interstate 80. The 18 wheelers were in Jasper County when the truck accident occurred. One of the semis was pulling a flatbed trailer with some kind of large piece of machinery on the trailer. There is no information on who owns the flatbed truck. The other semi had an enclosed trailer section with the logo of GFS Inc. on the side. GFS Inc. (Gordon Food Service) is a national grocery store chain and food distributor based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The area where the truck accident happened had been experiencing typical wintery weather, with intermittent snow showers on Friday morning. The highway was slick in spots and there was some snow on the ground, however officials have not determined if weather or road conditions were contributing factors in the two vehicle collision.

The two tractor trailers were driving near the interstate exit for Colfax when they collided head-on for unknown reasons. The truck accident happened near the Colfax exit and close to the overpass bridge for Iowa State Highway 117.

After the initial impact of the truck accident the two 18 wheelers both skidded into the grassy median in the center of the highway. The trailer section of the GFS truck would be almost completely in the median with its cab section detached and facing the opposite direction. The semi flatbed came to a stop partially blocking the inner traffic lane of the interstate, its cab section turned and heavily damaged.

According to reports, no other persons or vehicles were involved in the truck accident.

Colfax Rescue First Responders rushed to the site of the head-on collision, as did officers with the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department and Iowa Highway Patrol. At least one of the drivers was injured in the truck accident and was transported to a hospital in Des Moines. The driver’s injuries were considered non life threatening and he is expected to recover. The other driver was reportedly not injured and he apparently did not require treatment or hospitalization.

The impact of the head-on crash damaged at least one gas tank on one of the semi trucks and approximately 300 gallons of diesel fuel spilled out onto the highway.

Officers had to shut down the inside traffic lanes on the interstate in both directions while crews cleaned up the crash site. Both the GFS semi and the flatbed trailer truck were disabled in the truck accident and had to be towed from the truck accident site. Heavy duty wreckers were brought to the interstate and workers loaded the damaged cab sections of the 18 wheelers and hauled them off I-80.

Police would keep the traffic lanes closed for about two hours after the truck accident, reopening the inside lanes early Friday afternoon.

At this time state and local police are still investigating the truck accident and no charges have been brought against either driver.

Late Sunday night Francis Jamison of Maysville, KY was driving a tractor trailer through the far northeast section of the state. The driver was carrying a load of recycled paper at the time of the truck accident. He was reportedly headed up north but his exact destination is not known. The logo on the trailer section of the semi is for Heartland Express, a transportation company with multiple regional offices, based out of North Liberty, Iowa.

Over the weekend the region had experienced severe winter weather conditions. At the time of the truck accident many area roads were icy and several inches of snow covered the ground. At about 11:30 p.m. Sunday Mr. Jamison was leaving the Ryan’s Farm Supply, located in the far southeast part of Maysville near Orangeburg. The semi driver turned onto Kentucky 9 when he lost control of the 18 wheeler and the truck accident occurred.

The truck driver would tell police that he felt the load of recycled paper shift in the trailer section. This threw the tractor trailer off balance and the semi truck skidded on the icy highway. The 18 wheeler went off the highway on the north side of the road, slamming into the guardrail running alongside KY 9. The semi truck then flipped over onto its right side, finally coming to a rest on top of the highway guardrail.

No other persons or vehicles were involved in the truck accident.

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Mason County police and rescue teams responded to the single vehicle incident. The rollover occurred near the Orangeburg Volunteer Fire Department facility and several people from that building also went to the site. The driver, Mr. Jamison, was able to get out of the overturned tractor trailer. He was not injured in the truck accident and did not require hospitalization. According to a Mason County Sheriff officer the truck driver was wearing a seat belt at the time of the collision.

County Sheriff officers inspected the crash site and determined that the best action was to wait until Monday to clear the truck accident scene. This decision was made because the weather was still severe and the late hour hampered visibility. Officials believed that this combination could endanger the safety of any highway crews. A spokesperson said that the semi truck was off the highway and would not pose a hazard to other drivers. The roads were fairly empty Sunday night as most people had stayed at home due to the hazardous weather conditions.

On Monday at about 12:00 p.m. a crew of highway workers and a heavy duty tow truck were brought to the site of the truck accident. The crew offloaded the cargo of recycled paper and it is believed it was loaded onto a second semi trailer brought to the site. Once the trailer was empty the workers got the tractor trailer back up on its wheels and towed off KY 9.

A section of the highway guardrail was damaged in the overturn truck accident and it is believed a state work crew would be sent to repair or replace the section.

Officials inspecting the crash think that the truck accident was set off by the shifting cargo of paper and then the icy road surface caused the out of control semi to skid and flip over. It is not known if the Kentucky State Commercial Vehicle Department will conduct an inspection on the tractor trailer.

No charges were brought against the semi driver, Mr. Jamison, pending completion of the truck accident investigation.

Early Wednesday afternoon, October 20, 49 year old Donald Perry of Corbin, KY was driving a white 2010 Chevy cargo van east on Kentucky State Highway 80 in Laurel County, KY. The cargo van was leased by Forcht Pharmacy of Corbin, but it is not known if Mr. Perry was working at the time of the crash.

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At the same time 38 year old David Adkins of London was driving a 2006 Mack double tandem dump truck west on Kentucky 80. The dump truck is owned by Haulers, Inc based in London. Behind the semi dump truck was a 2006 Peterbilt semi trailer carrying a load of coal driven by John “Buck” Massey III, who was also the owner of the truck.

The truck accident occurred at about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon just west of the city of London near the exit for Chestnut Knolls Aviation Park. According to police reports, Mr. Perry attempted to pass another eastbound vehicle in a No Passing Zone on the highway. As the cargo van moved around the other vehicle it side swiped the westbound semi dump truck driven by Mr. Adkins.

The force of the truck accident threw the cargo van off balance and it spun around and careened back into the westbound lane of the highway where it crashed head-on with the Mack semi trailer carrying the load of coal. The coal trailer truck went off the highway and down an embankment into the woods, and flipped over on its side in a ditch. The semi coal truck burst into flames which quickly spread through the brush in the wooded area alongside Kentucky 80.

The truck accident crushed the front section of the cargo van trapping Mr. Perry inside. Emergency personnel who rushed to the scene had to use tools, including the “Jaws of Life”, to extricate the van driver from his destroyed vehicle. Unfortunately Mr. Perry suffered fatal injuries in the multi vehicle crash and was pronounced dead at the site.

The driver of the semi truck carrying the coal sustained serious injuries in the truck accident. Mr. Massey was treated and stabilized at the scene and then airlifted by medical helicopter to the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington. Information about his condition has not been released.

The driver of the double tandem dump truck was also injured in the multi vehicle truck accident. He was taken by ambulance to St Joseph Hospital in London. His condition is considered not life threatening.

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While paramedics helped the victims of the truck accident local firefighters fought the flames blazing in the woods off Kentucky 80. They also battled the fire on the coal truck. It was windy at the time and the teams had to work to keep the flames from spreading to new areas off the highway.

Police shut down a section of Kentucky 80 around the truck accident and the crashed and burning coal truck. Traffic was being diverted off the highway and onto Kentucky Route 1956. Officials expected the closures to last several hours, likely impacting the Wednesday afternoon commuter rush period.

Authorities are reconstructing the deadly truck accident. It appears that the collisions were set off by the cargo van attempting to pass the other vehicle in a No Passing Zone. Generally these zones are created on highways where there is limited room or visibility to safely pass another vehicle.

At this time police have not made any charges and the truck accident remains under investigation.

On Wednesday morning a truck driver was driving a semi trailer north on Interstate 71, traveling through Oldham County, Kentucky. The tractor trailer is owned by the Flint Group a global printing production company based in Luxembourg. According to a company official the truck driver had picked up a cargo of blue and yellow ink at the company’s Elizabethtown, KY plant and was on his way to deliver it to Columbus, Ohio. The ink is used to print magazines and is thicker than ink used in pens.

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The truck accident happened at about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday morning as the semi trailer was going through Oldham County, northeast of Louisville. As the unidentified driver was moving north on the interstate he suddenly lost control of the tractor trailer near Mile Marker 13. The 18 wheeler truck went off the road and into a ditch running alongside the interstate. The semi trailer then flipped over onto its side ending up across several northbound traffic lanes of I-71.

No other persons or vehicle were involved in the truck accident.

Police and local emergency personnel responded to the scene of the overturned tractor trailer. The driver of the semi was apparently able to get out of the cab and was not injured in the truck accident. A heavy duty tow truck would be brought to the site of the truck accident to get the semi back up on its wheels and off the highway.

The impact of the single vehicle truck accident damaged the trailer section and the colorful ink began to spill out onto the highway surface. The thick, oozing liquids quickly spread across the interstate and spilled over onto the shoulders and embankments alongside the road. The ink was both sticky and slick and created an immediate hazard for drivers on the interstate.

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Police shut down an area around the flipped semi trailer and rerouted traffic around the truck accident site. The greatest challenge for the highway crews would be to clean the ink off the interstate so that traffic could resume. The two colors mixed together and created a thick, green liquid across the northbound lanes. According to an official with the Kentucky Department of Transportation, the teams used sawdust and pieces of asphalt to soak up the ink. The official confirmed that the ink had stained the road in some areas and those spots may have to be re-striped in the future.

The truck accident impacted traffic all day as it would take the crews more than ten hours to clean up the syrupy mess. The closures caused major traffic delays during the afternoon commuter rush, with vehicles backed up to Highway 22. The northbound traffic lanes of I-71 finally reopened at about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday night.

Police reconstructed the rollover incident but have not released their findings on what caused the truck accident. It is not known if another vehicle darted in front of the semi trailer or if there was a mechanical failure on the 18 wheeler.

No citations have been brought at this time and the truck accident remains under investigation.

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Kentucky State Police responded to the site of the truck accident and closed down a two mile section of the KS 525 Bypass at the US 41 Alternate, rerouting traffic to US 60.

Shortly after 10:00 a.m. Friday morning 68 year old Alfred L. Hohimer of Illinois was driving a 2000 International semi tractor trailer east on the Kentucky State Highway 425 Bypass in Henderson County, KY. Mr. Hohimer was carrying a full load of gravel in the truck’s trailer.

At the same time 62 year old Linda Holland was driving a Nissan mini van north on Kentucky State Highway 1299. Mrs. Holland had three passengers, her 65 year old husband David Holland and their two grandsons ages 7 and 10.

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When Mrs. Holland reached the point where the two roadways met she went through a red traffic light, directly into the path of the eastbound semi trailer truck. The truck driver attempted to maneuver around the vehicle, but was unable to slow down or swerve to avoid an accident and slammed into the Nissan mini van.

The force of the truck accident shoved the mini van about 100 feet down the side of the highway, ripping out a section of guardrail along the north side of KS 425. After hitting the mini van the semi tractor trailer rolled over on its side blocking a section of the highway. When the semi overturned the entire load of gravel spilled out onto the roadway.

The collision crushed the Nissan mini van and trapped the four people inside. The local emergency rescue team had to use tools to extricate them from the van before they could give treatment. The van driver, her husband, and the 7 year old grandson suffered fatal injuries in the truck accident and were pronounced dead at the scene.

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The 10 year old grandson survived the truck accident. Once freed from the mini van he was airlifted by medical helicopter to St. Mary’s Medical Center in Evansville, IN. He reportedly suffered multiple injuries and at last report his condition was listed as critical.
Mr. Hohimer, the truck driver, was taken to Methodist Hospital in Henderson. He was treated for minor injuries and released sometime Friday.

Kentucky State Police responded to the site of the truck accident and closed down a two mile section of the KS 525 Bypass at the US 41 Alternate, rerouting traffic to US 60. They also closed down part of KS 1299 while they reconstructed the collision and highway workers cleared the area. A local towing company sent a crew to get the disabled semi trailer truck back upright and tow it off the highway while other crews worked to clean-up the spilled gravel. The highways finally reopened shortly after 3:00 p.m. Friday afternoon.

KSP officers investigating the deadly truck accident have determined that two of the victims killed were not wearing seat belts at the time of the collision. They will also conduct a complete inspection of the mini van to determine if the truck was in good working order.

At this time no charges have been made and the truck accident remains under investigation.

The impact of the rear-end truck accident crushed the back of the van and sent it across the interstate and into a ditch at the side of the highway.

At around 1:00 a.m. Monday morning 53 year old Alan Black of Keavy, KY was driving a 2011 International semi tractor trailer truck north on Interstate 75, traveling through Madison County, KY.

As the 18 wheeler rode through the area near mile marker 93 it came upon a white Ford van that was reportedly driving slowly in the far right of the northbound lanes. One report said that the van, driven by 22 year old Joan Kozloski of Sterling Heights, Michigan, was traveling at about 30 MPH, well below the minimum posted speed for the interstate and may have been experiencing mechanical problems.

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The semi truck apparently came up on the van so quickly that the truck driver was unable to stop or maneuver to avoid a collision and the 18 wheeler plowed into the rear section of the smaller vehicle. He later told authorities that he did not see the van “until it was in his headlights”. The impact of the rear-end truck accident crushed the back of the van and sent it across the interstate and into a ditch at the side of the highway.

The semi trailer also went off the road after the truck accident.

Local emergency personnel responded to the accident site and attempted to aid the victims of the rear-end collision. A passenger in the van, 48 year old Kimberly Toton-Kozloski of Sterling Heights, MI, who was asleep in the back of the van during the crash, was ejected during the rear-end accident. She suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

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The driver of the van and two other passengers, 20 year old Jenna Kozloski and 22 year old Jakob Stinson, also of Sterling Heights, MI, suffered less serious injuries. They were treated at the scene and transported to Pattie A. Clay Hospital in Richmond, KY.

The truck driver, Mr. Black, was also taken to Clay Hospital with minor injuries.

Highway crews were called in to clear the debris from the highway and remove the wreckage of the van and disabled 18 wheeler truck. Kentucky State Police shut down the interstate in the vicinity of the truck accident while the crews worked and troopers reconstructed the collision. At this time they do not believe that drugs or alcohol played a part in the deadly truck accident.

The interstate finally reopened after five hours at about 6:30 a.m., in time for the Monday morning commute.

No charges or citations have been made at this time and the truck accident remains under investigation.

The 18 wheeler crashed into the concrete safety barriers the construction crews had erected. Two workers were in the area having lunch but neither was injured in the truck accident.

At about 1:00 p.m. Friday afternoon 54 year old Steven F. Harkey of Prescott, Michigan was driving a semi truck with a 53 foot trailer for Marine Transport Inc., a boat hauling company based in Au Gres, MI. The truck driver was headed west on Highway 60, approaching a construction work zone which included the bridge in Spottsville, KY.

Construction had started this week on the section of highway and bans had been put into effect prohibiting any vehicles wider than 8 feet from driving in the area. This ban includes all semi tractor trucks. The only exceptions are school buses and emergency vehicles.

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Signs and barriers were in place for several miles on the highway alerting drivers to the ban and the upcoming work zone. The Spottsville Bridge, which crosses the Green River, is already narrow and at the time of the truck accident only one lane about 8 feet wide was open for traffic.

According to Kentucky State Police Mr. Harkey apparently ignored the posted signs and attempted to drive over the Spottsville Bridge on Highway 60. The 18 wheeler crashed into the concrete safety barriers the construction crews had erected. Two workers were in the area having lunch but fortunately neither was injured in the truck accident.

After the truck accident the driver, Mr. Harkey, was arrested by KY State Police Troopers and transported to Henderson County Detention Center in Henderson. According to authorities he has been charged with two counts of Wanton Endangerment 2nd Degree, Careless Driving, Over Dimensional on a Non-Designated Highway, and Disregarding a Traffic Control Device.

The driver reportedly told authorities that the trucking company rerouted him off of the four-lane Audubon Parkway onto Highway 60. He had left Bowling Green earlier and was headed to Missouri.

The impact of the truck accident destroyed the concrete safety barriers and the construction crews had to stop work on the highway. The ruined barriers would have to be removed and new ones set up before work could resume on the project.

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The truck accident also caused delay for the other traffic on the highway as KY State Police had to shut down the one lane while crews replaced the safety barriers.

According to reports although the size ban is posted before trailer trucks reach the construction zone, some drivers have attempted to take their semi trucks through the area. Commercial Vehicle Officers have already given out several citations and state troopers have stepped up efforts to keep 18 wheelers from driving in the restricted areas.

According to KSP, even after Friday’s truck accident they were still stopping drivers attempting to take semi trailers through the construction zone and over the narrow bridge.

The truck accident investigation is complete.

Kentucky State Police troopers and local emergency personnel quickly responded to the truck accident scene. Ten people in the van suffered fatal blunt force trauma injuries.

Shortly after 5:30 a.m. Friday morning a semi trailer truck driven by an unidentified Alabama resident was headed south on Interstate 65. The tractor truck was carrying a load of auto brake drums for Hester, Inc., based in Fayette, Alabama.

As the 18 wheeler truck passed through Munfordville near mile marker 63, the truck driver apparently lost control of the rig. The semi truck smashed through cable restraints at the side of the interstate and crossed over the center median, slamming head on into a northbound dark green passenger van. After hitting the van, the tractor trailer truck then crashed in to a rock wall along the interstate and erupted in flames.

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Kentucky State Police troopers and local emergency personnel quickly responded to the truck accident scene. Ten people in the van suffered fatal blunt force trauma injuries. Authorities say they were all wearing seat belts at the time of the truck accident. EMTS freed the victims from the van and transported them to a nearby hospital where they were pronounced dead.

Two children, aged 4 and 5, who were passengers in the van were in child safety seats and survived the horrific crash. They were removed from the demolished van by another truck driver who witnessed the truck accident and had stopped to give assistance. The children were placed in the cab of his truck to stay warm until paramedics arrived.

The children were treated at the scene and then transported to a nearby hospital. The extent of their injuries is unknown at this time, but one of the children reportedly only suffered a bloody nose. They were released from the hospital Friday afternoon.

The unidentified truck driver from Alabama also suffered fatal injuries in the truck accident. Authorities said he was badly burned, and an autopsy would be performed to determine if other factors caused him to cross over the interstate median.

The passenger van was carrying a Mennonite family on its way to a wedding in Iowa. The passengers have been identified as extended members of the Esh family of Cumberland County, in south central Kentucky. According to the pastor of the Marrowbone Christian Brotherhood in Burkesville, KY, nine of the van’s passengers were congregants at the church. The victims include an engaged couple and family members who reportedly lost their home to a fire in December. They had recently moved into a new home built by fellow church members.

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The wreckage of the truck accident was strewn across the interstate’s northbound lanes. Highway crews were brought in to clear the debris from the traffic lanes.

State Police closed down the south lanes of I-65 so that medical helicopters could land. They also closed the northbound lanes of the highway in the area around the truck accident site so troopers could reconstruct the head on collision and crews could work at the scene.

Traffic was being diverted off the interstate at Exit 58 and directed to local highways which would bring them back on I-65 at Exit 91. The northbound lanes would remain closed for the entire morning, reopening early Friday afternoon.

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The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was sending as team to investigate the truck accident scene, in addition to Kentucky State police.

No charges have been made at this time and the truck accident remains under investigation.

After a preliminary investigation of the fatal truck accident, authorities have ruled out drug or alcohol use as being a factor. There were no reports that his trailer truck malfunctioned.

Shortly after 10:30 p.m. Monday night 65 year old Larry W. Rogers of Corbin, KY was traveling south on Interstate 75 in Whitley County in a 1996 Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck. A few minutes later he stopped his pickup and was straddling the shoulder and the right lane of the interstate near mile marker 26. Kentucky State Police are unsure why Mr. Rogers stopped his vehicle in the traffic lane of the highway.

At around 10:45 p.m. 44 year old Donald M. Cain of Dayton, Ohio was driving a 2007 Freightliner tractor trailer truck south on I-75 and suddenly came upon Mr. Roger’s pickup in the road. The truck driver was unable to maneuver or stop to avoid an accident and rear ended the smaller truck.

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Mr. Rogers was reportedly not wearing a seat belt, and the force of the truck accident ejected him from his Chevy pickup truck out onto the roadway
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Whitley County Emergency Management team and EMS personnel responded to the truck accident scene to treat the victims. They found that Mr. Rogers suffered fatal injuries and he was pronounced dead at the scene of the truck collision by the Whitley County Coroner’s Office.

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Mr. Cain, the driver of the 18 wheeler, was not injured in the rear end truck collision.

Kentucky State Police and the Corbin Police Department also responded to the scene of the truck accident. They closed down the interstate in the vicinity of the truck accident for several hours while crews cleared the wreckage of the rear end crash from the interstate.

One lane of the interstate was opened by Tuesday morning.

After a preliminary investigation of the fatal truck accident, authorities have ruled out drug or alcohol use as being a factor.

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The Kentucky State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement was also at the site to check out the mechanical operation of Mr. Cain’s Freightliner tractor trailer truck. There were no reports that his trailer truck malfunctioned.

At this time no charges or citations have been brought. The truck accident remains under investigation.