Garrard Co., KY (April 3, 2024) – An Emergency Medical Technician and a patient in an ambulance lost their lives in a crash with a tractor-trailer on Monday morning, April 1. The incident occurred at around 9:00 a.m. at the intersection of Lexington Road and Old Lexington Road. The Kentucky State Police say the semi-truck driver was headed east on Old Lexington Road when it turned left in front of an ambulance from Somerset-Pulaski County. The ambulance was headed north on Lexington Road at the time of the crash. The driver, identified as Chastian McWhorter, 26, of Albany, and a patient present in the ambulance at the time, identified as Robert Caudill, 75, of Nancy, was pronounced deceased on-site by the coroner in Garrard County, police said. Another passenger present in the ambulance at the time of the crash was taken to the University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital with injuries deemed non-life-threatening. The driver of the semi-truck was taken to UK Chandler Hospital with injuries also deemed non-life-threatening.
Police in Garrard County continue to investigate. We want to offer our sincere condolences to the families of the deceased victims at this time.
Kentucky Truck Accidents
Information gathered from the Kentucky State Police’s Traffic Collision Facts Report shows that over 10,000 large trucks were involved in traffic accidents in Kentucky in 2021. Additionally, that same year, over 1,000 non-fatal injury collisions involved large trucks and more than 100 of those accidents were fatal. This accounts for over 4% of all traffic collisions in the state in 2021, and 9% of the total number of deadly accidents. Kentucky’s fatality rate for truck crashes is also statistically higher than most other states throughout the country.
Commercial truck accidents are usually much more dangerous than other types of traffic accidents due to the sheer size and weight of tractor-trailers. The average semi-truck weighs approximately 20 to 30 times more than the average passenger vehicle. These monsters of the road pose a huge threat when they become involved in accidents, and have the potential to cause serious damage, injuries, and even death to the people involved.
If you or someone you love were recently hurt in an accident involving a semi-truck, you may be going through an extremely difficult time. You may be wondering how you are going to recover from such a devastating event, especially if you have wrongfully lost a loved one. If someone you know lost their life in a truck crash, you may be eligible to gather financial compensation for the losses and damages you are facing concerning their passing. Funeral costs, burial expenses, and more may be eligible for financial compensation when you work with a skilled wrongful death attorney.
At the Byrnes Law Office, we have been working for many years to help injured victims and their loved ones recover from devastating events like injurious and fatal traffic accidents. Contact our law firm to talk to a wrongful death lawyer in Garrard County at (502)-364-2500 to learn about how we can help you at this time.