KNOX COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — 21-year-old father of two Todd St. John of Gray, Kentucky, died after his utility terrain vehicle collided with a Knox County deputy's vehicle during an attempted traffic stop on Thursday evening.
"He always worked hard to provide for his family," said Mackenzie Eads, St. John's fiancée.
Eads is now faced with raising the couple's children on her own. She said St. John was going out with his friend to fill their side-by-side with gas when the incident occurred.
"I got the call he had been in a wreck, and I was in disbelief," Eads said.
According to the Kentucky State Police, Knox County Deputy Michael Ashurst was attempting to pull over St. John's vehicle on Southeast Business Drive, a narrow, windy back road in Corbin.
"The deputy had his lights on trying to get them to stop, and at some point those vehicles collided," said a Kentucky State Police trooper.
The collision caused the UTV to flip, landing on the driver's side. Investigators confirmed alcohol was a factor in the incident.
Neither St. John's passenger nor the deputy were injured in the crash.
"It's a sad day in Knox County, no matter what happened here. There's an individual who lost his life," the trooper said.
St. John's family is seeking more information about the circumstances surrounding the crash and calling for accountability.
"I think that this 110% could've been avoided," Eads said.
She added: "I will push to get him the justice he deserves."
