Published: July 09, 2009 08:57 pm      

Local woman dies in head-on crash

Somerset — A Somerset woman is dead and three other local individuals were injured following a head-on collision in southern Pulaski County early yesterday.

The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department says Amanda Neely, 21, of Alexander Spur, Somerset, died at the scene of the wreck on South U.S. 27 near Sloan’s Valley Road.

Neely had been operating a 1995 Ford Mustang northbound on U.S. 27 when she crossed the center line around 5:54 a.m. and struck a southbound 1998 Jeep Wrangler operated by Joshua Ware, 19, of Jacksboro Street, Ferguson.

Both drivers had to be extricated from their vehicles by the Pulaski County Rescue Squad.

Ware was treated at the scene by the Somerset Pulaski EMS Department and was airlifted to the University of Kentucky Medical Center. At press time, Ware was listed in serious condition at UK.

Two passengers in Neely’s vehicle, Ashlee Worley, 25, also of Alexander Spur, Somerset, and Michael Messamore, 27, of West Ky. 80, Somerset, were also treated by EMS workers and airlifted to UK. Worley and Messamore were listed in critical condition yesterday evening.

Sgt. Jon Williams of the sheriff’s department said that, as far as he knew, all four individuals were wearing seat belts.

A child’s safety seat was in Neely’s vehicle, but no children were involved in the incident.

Traffic was blocked in both directions on South U.S. 27 for more than four hours while investigators worked at the scene, just in front of Sloan’s Valley Baptist Church.

Sheriff’s units were assisted at the scene by Kentucky Vehicle Enforcement, the Tateville Volunteer Fire Department, the Parkers Mill Volunteer Fire Department, the Pulaski County Rescue Squad, the Pulaski County HAZ-MAT Team, the Pulaski County Coroner’s Office, the Pulaski County Public Safety Office, and the McCreary County EMS.

Authorities have said there were no witnesses to the crash, and it is difficult to determine how fast the vehicles were traveling at the time of the impact.

An investigation into the crash is continuing by the sheriff’s department’s Accident Reconstruction Unit.

Sgt. Williams did not say whether alcohol is being considered as a factor in the collision; however, blood tests to determine the presence of alcohol or drugs are routinely administered when a person is killed in a motor vehicle accident.