FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — A man has been indicted on numerous charges, including murder, after allegedly causing a fatal I-64 crash.
Police arrested 45-year-old Jerry Elder Jr., of Flint, Michigan, who they said was driving a semi tractor-trailer when he crashed into two cars from behind. According to his arrest citation, Elder was distracted by watching a video on his cellphone at the time of the crash.
The crash occurred about 5:30 p.m. in the westbound lanes of I-64. Police said traffic was backed up for two miles because of construction.
According to police, Elder has been charged with the following:
- 1 count of murder
- 1 count of assault in the first degree
- 1 count of assault in the second degree
- 2 counts of wanton endangerment
Elder was previously charged with manslaughter in the second degree for the same incident.
Authorities said 61-year-old Jeffrey Curtis of Bedford, Kentucky, was pronounced dead at the scene.
State Police say the crash happened as a result of distracted driving.
Distracted driving is dangerous. Here are some statistics on how taking your eyes off the road can have deadly consequences.
Distracted Driving Statistics 2018 - Kentucky
- 50,000 crashes
- 15,000 injuries
- Nearly 200 deaths
Construction zone crashes 2018 – Kentucky
- 1,042 crashes
- This is a 3% rise from the previous year
- Rear-end collisions are the most common type of crash in work zone incidents
The best advice KYTC has for motorists is to drive without distractions and to slow down.
