UPDATED: Police pursuit on US 25E ends when SUV hits coal truck

A high-speed chase north on U.S. 25E Thursday afternoon came to a sudden stop near the Corbin bypass when the run vehicle ran head-on into a coal truck.

Kentucky State Police had reportedly initiated a pursuit of the Mercedes-Benz SUV in eastern Knox County.

Trooper Shane Jacobs, public affairs officer at Post 10 in Harlan, said the pursuit began when the SUV passed Trooper Dallas Eubanks’ cruiser on the shoulder at a high rate of speed.

“Troopers from Knox County joined in the pursuit and followed the vehicle for several more miles but was unable to get the vehicle to pull over,” Jacobs stated. “Due to the high rate of speed the Mercedes was traveling, the pursuit was terminated in the Gray community of Knox County.”

As the SUV reached the intersection with the Corbin bypass just before 4 p.m. the female driver of the SUV reportedly swerved into the southbound lane, sideswiping at least three vehicles before hitting the coal truck.

“I thought it was going to happen at the other light,” said one witness referring to the light at the intersection of U.S. 25E and Ky. 830 near Lynn Camp Middle/High School.

I just looked up and she was already past me,” said Jack Sterling, who was sitting at the bypass intersection waiting on the light.

“She tore of my right hand mirror and hit the right front fender,” Sterling added.

Emergency personnel reported the SUV flipped multiple times following the collision, coming to a rest on the shoulder.

Jacobs said the 16-year-old driver was ejected from the vehicle.

The driver and the male passenger, identified as 20-year-old John Deaver of Harrogate, Tenn., were both airlifted from the scene to the University of Tennessee Medical Center with critical injuries.

Traffic in both directions was shut down for more than an hour as emergency personnel cleared the highway to land the two helicopters and then to tow the vehicles from the scene.

Kentucky State Police are continuing the investigation.

Jacobs said the teen had been reported missing earlier Thursday morning by her mother from Harrogate.

Kentucky State Police Division of Commercial Vehicle Enforcement, Corbin Police, Corbin Fire Department and West Knox Fire Department assisted at the scene.