SCOTT COUNTY, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — Update: June 13 at 6 p.m.
Firefighters are emphasizing road safety after a couple died when their vehicle crashed into a fire truck on I-75 during pouring rain conditions Saturday afternoon.
Shauna and Darren Nelson were killed when their southbound vehicle lost control on the wet roadway around 2:30 p.m. and struck the rear of a 50,000-pound Scott County fire truck, Kentucky State Police said.
The firefighters had responded to an unrelated crash on the left shoulder when the fatal accident occurred, officials said.
Two passengers in the Nelsons' vehicle suffered serious injuries and were taken to UK Hospital. Three firefighters sustained minor injuries in the crash.
"The firefighters had just gotten back into the truck from the wreck that they were on, and that is when they were hit from behind," said State Fire Marshal Joshua Cromer. "They were able to get out and give first aid to the occupants that were in the car."
Cromer says the incident highlights the constant dangers first responders face while working highway accidents.
"Every time that we're on the interstate and there's cars going by, those are all close calls," he said.
Despite safety protocols, Cromer said the risk to emergency personnel never disappears. He urged drivers to slow down, move over when possible and stay alert when approaching emergency scenes.
"It doesn't matter if it's a fire engine, a police car, or a tow truck," Cromer said. "Increase your awareness, give them a little bit of space because you never know what's going on around that incident."
Saturday's rainy conditions created additional hazards with wet roads and reduced visibility, Cromer noted.
Kentucky's "Move Over" law requires drivers to change lanes away from stopped emergency vehicles when safe to do so, or slow down significantly if unable to move over.
The crash remains under investigation by Kentucky State Police.
Original Story:
Two people are dead and three firefighters were injured after a vehicle struck a Scott County Fire Department truck on I-75 southbound near the 142-mile marker in Scott County on July 11.
The preliminary investigation indicates the Scott County Fire Department had responded to an unrelated collision on the left shoulder of I-75 south near the 142-mile marker.
While providing traffic control on the left emergency shoulder, another vehicle traveling south on I-75 reportedly "lost control" and collided with the parked fire department truck, Kentucky State Police reported. The fire department vehicle had emergency lights activated and was occupied by firefighters at the time of the crash.
The Scott County Coroner identified the two people killed as 61-year-old Darren Paul Nelson and 62-year-old Shauna Colleen Nelson of Knoxville, Tennessee. Both were pronounced dead at the scene by the Scott County Coroner's Office. According to the coroner, the two were traveling back home to Tennessee when the crash occurred.
The vehicle that struck the fire truck had four occupants. Nelson was reportedly the driver, and Shauna Nelson was the front passenger. The two occupants in the backseat were taken to UK Hospital in Lexington for serious injuries. The coroner reported that those two individuals remained stable.
Three Scott County firefighters were transported to Centerpoint Health Hospital in Georgetown, where they were treated for injuries and later released, according to KSP.
The collision remains under investigation by Sgt. Jack Hedges of the Kentucky State Police Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT).
A GoFundMe has been created for the two people killed in the crash and can be found at Fundraiser for Muriel Kimbrough by Tina Cardwell : Support for Shauna & Darren Nelson's Family.
