PADUCAH (WSIL) -- Police have revealed more details, including the cause, of a fatal multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 24 in Paducah Sunday morning.
Authorities say eight passenger vehicles and a tractor-trailer truck were involved in the incident just before 10 a.m. on Sunday, June 27, 2021.
Paducah police say Narinder Kumar, 32 of Glen Oak, NY, was driving a tractor-trailer and saw stopped traffic. He told officers he was unable to stop in time to avoid the collision.
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His semi hit the back of another vehicle driven by Michell Wren, 38 of Franklin, TN, causing it to overturn. Wren was injured and her daughter, Emery, was pronounced dead at Baptist Health Paducah. Wren's two other children sustained "possible injuries."
Kumar's truck then proceeded to hit the other seven vehicles, before coming to rest against the cable barrier in the median.
Kumar was not injured.
Other drivers and passengers were injured:
- William H. Brown, 54, of Murphy, NC
- Frederick B. Kernan, 65, of Rock Island, IL
- Douglas J. Kaeser, 56, of Crystal Lake, IL
- Christopher Flach, 25, of West Paducah
- Steven T. Fincutter, 28, of Elkhorn, WI
- Abriel Odling, 28, of Elkhorn, WI
All were taken to Mercy Health Lourdes Hospital or Baptist Health for treatment, except Kernan who was flown from the scene to an out-of-state hospital. He was listed in stable condition Monday.
The interstate was closed for nearly seven hours.
The Paducah Police Department’s Collision Reconstruction Team and detectives are investigating.
This is the second fatal crash on that stretch of Interstate 24 in just more than a month. Chief Brian Laird said the ongoing construction on the Ohio River bridge is a contributing factor in these collisions.
“We’ve been in contact with Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to ask them
to assess the area to determine if there are other options regarding the approach to the construction zone,� he said. “It appears lack of attention is the main cause of this and most other collisions. Drivers need to be aware of their surroundings and pay attention to signage and reduced speed limits.�
