Driver charged with DUI after deadly early morning crash on I-75 in Laurel County

LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) — A driver is facing a DUI charge following a deadly early morning crash on Interstate 75 near London, according to the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff John Root says the crash happened around 2:57 a.m. Tuesday in the southbound lanes of I-75, about five miles north of London.

Investigators say a tractor-trailer was traveling south in the middle lane when it was hit from behind by a Nissan Altima. The driver of the car was pronounced dead at the scene by the Laurel County Coroner’s Office.

The victim has been identified as 30-year-old William Darnell of Corbin. He was the only person inside the Nissan, according to the sheriff’s office.

Authorities say the driver of the tractor-trailer, 54-year-old Steven Patrick Jones of Xenia, Ohio, was taken to Saint Joseph London to be checked for possible injuries. Investigators say a search warrant for a blood test was obtained as part of the investigation.

After the investigation was completed, deputies charged Jones with DUI. He was taken to the Laurel County Detention Center.

The crash remains under investigation by a Laurel County sheriff’s accident reconstructionist. Southbound lanes of I-75 re-opened after being closed for about three hours while crews worked the scene.