PRESTONSBURG, Ky. (LEX News) — A Paintsville man is now in police custody and facing charges in connection to a 2025 multi-vehicle collision in Prestonsburg that left a Tennessee woman dead.
41-year-old Joshua Conley was indicted by a Floyd County Grand Jury in Febuary 2026 on charges of vehicular homicide while under the influence, operating a vehicle under the influence, and driving on a suspended or revoked operator's license. He was taken into police custody over the weekend.
According to Prestonsburg Police, Conley was driving along US Highway 23 near the intersection of Town Branch Road in May 2025 when he attempted to make a left-hand turn, crossing into oncoming traffic and entering the path of a vehicle driven by 71-year-old Susan Pratt. Pratt reportedly died of her injuries in September 2025.
Police allege that Conley was under the influence of fentanyl and methamphetamine at the time of the collision and failed to yield to oncoming traffic, striking Pratt's vehicle head on.
"This is but a small step forward toward justice for Pratt and her family, who lost her to an impaired driver with no valid driver’s license. While these investigations take extensive work and time, it is through that work and investigation that solid, prosecutable cases are built," Chief of Police Ross C. Shurtleff said in the release.
