LOUISVILLE, Ky. — One person is dead due to a fatal crash involving five vehicles just outside a tunnel Wednesday morning.
At about 5:30 a.m., Louisville Metro Police and Louisville Fire responded to a multi-vehicle collision on I-64 East just past the Cochran Hill Tunnel, according to an LMPD news release.
I-64 East was closed to traffic for nearly 20 hours. The interstate opened back up on Thursday at around 1 a.m.
After evaluating the road conditions following the crash, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) said they have identified damage to the asphalt riding surface cause by "excessive heat."
"Ongoing monitoring of the area will continue, and a permanent solution to rectify the damage to the asphalt riding surface will be implemented when weather conditions permit," KYTC said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The five vehicles involved in the crash included two semi-trucks, a garbage truck and two cars. For reason unknown to authorities, the vehicles collided with one another causing all five vehicles to catch on fire.
One of the drivers of a semi-truck was killed in the crash and pronounced dead on the scene. The drivers of the cars and garbage truck were transported to UofL Hospital with injuries. Officials say they expect them to survive.
The driver of the second semi-truck was left uninjured, according to the news release.
Louisville fire officials told said that the location of the crash and the bitterly cold temperatures gave them some challenges.
"If you think about the way that we respond to these structure fires you’ll see all the hoses out. [But] We don’t have hydrants on the interstate. When you’ve got multiple vehicles on fire, water supply becomes an issue. But our crews were able to get up there and use some unconventional ways of getting water to put out those fires," Louisville Fire Chief Brian O'Neill said.
"I heard the garbage truck. And I thought, 'what is a garbage truck doing in the middle of the night getting garbage?' And then I hard another sound like a can opener going rip, like a metal sound," Dorothy Burch said. She came by around noon to see the wreck and lives nearby.
"I don't recall any accident this bad," she added.
At this time, it's unknown if the semi-truck driver killed was a FedEx driver. However, a FedEx spokesperson said the following:
"We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends who are mourning the loss of a loved one in this accident. Safety is our highest priority, and we are cooperating fully with the investigating authorities at this time.”
The LMPD Traffic Unit is handling the investigation.
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