I-75 was shut down for more than 9 hours on Tuesday. Around 11:15 p.m. it was finally reopened. The cause of the closure was a horrific accident involving six tractor-trailers and one car, which resulted in two deaths. Janet Montgomery, who was inside one of the six tractor trailers, said of the accident, “You don’t see stuff like this every day, it’s not something that you want to see.”
Kentucky State Police Vehicle Enforcement said the cause of the crash has not been determined, but it appears to have happened when traffic slowed in a construction zone. The last to hit was a FedEx semi, which burst into flames and killed the driver, 41-year-old Toby Caudill of Glenford, Ohio.
In the middle of the six tractor trailers was a car. The operator of the car, 34-year-old Jonathan Roark, was pronounced dead on the scene. He was a military man from the Barbourville area. A third driver was injured in the collision and was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
This tragic event is a reminder that drivers need to be alert while being behind the wheel in order to operate their vehicles in a safe manner. While the investigation into the cause of the accident is still ongoing, if any of the drivers are found to have breached the standard of care in operating their vehicles in a safe manner, the drivers, or their estates, could be liable for the damages that resulted. But there are many more questions to be answered. The injured and their families deserve those answers.
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