Jackknifed Semi Snarls Interstate Traffic at Northern Split in Fayette County

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – The timing couldn’t have been much worse for a semi to jackknife, crash and close the southbound lanes of I-75 during rush hour on Tuesday in Fayette County.

Lexington Police say it happened around 4:40 p.m. near Exit 118 at the northern split of I-75 and I-64.

Investigators say they’re still trying to figure out why the semi driver lost control and crashed. Police say the driver taken to UK Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. No name was released.

Police say the driver was hauling a “light load,” but couldn’t specify what the contents of the trailer were, but that it did not spill.

Diesel fuel did spill at the crash scene, so an environmental team was called in to clean up, according to police.

The accident left a large road sign dangling precariously over eastbound I-64, so it was closed while a state crew came in and cut down the sign.

All southbound lanes of I-75 were closed for hours while crews cleaned-up the crash scene and moved the semi.

At one point, all lanes of I-75 and I-64 were closed, which led to long traffic backups despite the use of detours.

Police say there were a few “secondary collisions” near the crash site, mainly fender-benders involving drivers who didn’t stop in time as they came up on stopped traffic. Police say no one was hurt in any of those related collisions.

All lanes of southbound I-75 finally reopened more than six hours after the accident. All lanes of I-64 were reopened earlier in the evening.