Published: May 13, 2008 07:17 am      

6 hurt in North U.S. 27 crash

Local News

Northbound and southbound traffic on North U.S. 27 in Eubank was rerouted for six hours yesterday while law enforcement investigated the scene of a four-vehicle collision which injured six individuals — one critically.

The collision occurred at 2:37 p.m. approximately 12 miles north of Somerset.

According to the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department, Murrell C. Denney, 71, of Waynesburg, who was driving a white 2002 GMC, was stopped on U.S. 27 waiting to turn left onto Skyline Drive, and Tanya K. Clark, 32, of Peru, Ind., driving a silver 2003 Pontiac, was slowing down behind the Denney vehicle on U.S. 27, when the Clark vehicle was struck from behind by a gold 2005 Chevrolet driven by Samuel S. Jenkins, 20, of Monticello.

The impact pushed Clark’s vehicle into the rear of Denney’s vehicle and then into the northbound lane, where it was hit again by a silver 1999 Chevrolet driven by Paula F. Weddle, 44, of Liberty. Weddle had been traveling northbound on U.S. 27.

Clark’s vehicle then crossed back into the southbound lane and struck the Denney vehicle a second time.

“Remarkably, there was only minor damage (to the Denney vehicle),” Pulaski Sheriff Todd Wood said.

Mr. Denney and a passenger in his vehicle whose name was not available at press time, both of whom were uninjured, remained in their vehicle, and were able to drive away from the scene once the other vehicles were cleared away, Wood said.

Clark was extricated from her vehicle by members of the Somerset-Pulaski County Rescue Squad and was treated at the scene by the Somerset Fire/EMS Department.

A passenger in Jenkins’ vehicle, Gary Carroll, 54, of Monticello, was also treated at the scene by the Somerset Fire/EMS Department.

Clark and Carroll were later airlifted from the scene and flown to the University of Kentucky Medical Center by Life-Net and by PHI Aero-Medical Services.

Weddle and three passengers in her vehicle, Tonya New, 29, of Crab Orchard, Steven Zelaya, age one, also of Crab Orchard, and Dorothy Foley, 67, of Eubank, were taken to Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital by the Somerset Fire/EMS Department and the Waynesburg Rescue Squad.

Conditions of the patients could not be obtained by press time Monday night.

Wood, however, said Clark was “very critical” when she was airlifted yesterday afternoon.

The investigation is continuing by the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department’s accident reconstruction unit.

Sheriff’s units were assisted at the scene by the Eubank Fire Department and the Pulaski County Public Safety Director.