2 charged with murder, DUI after juvenile dies in car crash

WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. (WTVQ) — Two people are charged with murder after allegedly driving under the influence and causing a crash that killed a juvenile on Thursday.

According to Kentucky State Police, troopers were called to I-75 southbound at the 17-mile marker in Whitley County for a report of a two-vehicle crash around midnight.

Matthew Croley and Jayna Vorwerk were reportedly in one vehicle, with a 25-year-old woman and four juvenile passengers in another vehicle.

Croley or Vorwerk was driving a Ford Edge and hit the 25-year-old driving a GEO tracker.

The 25-year-old was trapped inside the vehicle, extricated and then flown to the University of Tennessee Hospital with severe injuries. Three of her juvenile passengers were taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. A fourth juvenile passenger was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene.

Alcohol was a contributing factor in this crash, KSP said.

Croley and Vorwerk are charged with murder, assault, wanton endangerment and operating a motor vehicle under the influence.

They were both booked into the Whitley County Detention Center.