Intersections and other types of merge areas are typically high-risk stretches of roadway in Kentucky and elsewhere. Just after noon on a recent Monday, a tragic collision occurred that resulted in multiple fatalities. Police say investigators are still working on the case, which apparently involved a tractor-trailer and a Ford Taurus.
The big rig was traveling eastbound when the crash occurred
Preliminary investigations show that the tractor-trailer was heading eastbound on the road just moments before it collided with the Ford Taurus. The car was reportedly coming out of a driveway when the massive truck broadsided it. Sadly, the driver of the Ford Taurus, a 23-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The four other occupants of her vehicle, ages 14, 26, 44 and 54, were also killed in the collision.
Roads were closed to traffic for hours
Nearby roads were closed to traffic for more than six hours after the tragedy. Numerous local departments, including the McCracken Country Sheriff’s Office, several fire departments and a county coroner combined efforts to assist at the scene. Investigations of collisions that result in severe injury or death often take weeks, even months to conclude.
Support for families grieving the loss of their loved ones
When a Kentucky family learns that a loved one has died in a collision, their lives are forever changed. As a family copes with its loss, its members need encouragement and support from each other, as well as from other members of their community. In a case where driver negligence was a causal factor in a loved one’s death, an immediate family member may seek restitution for damages by filing a wrongful death claim in a civil court. While there is no way to replace the loss of a human life, such claims often provide compensation for damages that provide financial relief to grieving families.