UPDATE: Corbin Police reveal identities of two men involved in Sunday morning fatal collision

The Corbin Police Department has revealed the identities of the two men who were involved in a single-vehicle fatal collision on 5th Street Road in Corbin early Sunday morning.

A CPD press release Sunday afternoon said, “On September 3rd 2023 at 0640 hours, The Corbin Police Department responded to a call of a single vehicle collision on 5th Street in Whitley County. Upon Corbin Police Officer’s arrival the driver of the vehicle, James Barnes age 25 of Lily, had a strong smell of alcoholic beverage on his person and apparent injuries.”

“The passenger Zachary Mathis, age 21 of London was pronounced dead at the scene by Whitley County Coroner Andy Croley. The driver was taken to Baptist Health in Corbin and then transferred to University of Kentucky for treatment. The investigation is continuing by Detective Robbie Hodge.”

Original Post: One person is dead and another hospitalized after a fatal traffic collision in Corbin early Sunday morning.

Corbin Police, Corbin Fire Department and the Whitley County Ambulance Service responded to a call between 6-7 a.m. Sunday morning of a collision on 5^th Street Road near Corbin Primary School. When first responders arrived, they discovered a single vehicle had left the roadway and collided with a tree. The passenger in the vehicle was deceased, and the body was later retrieved by Whitley County Coroner Andy Croley. The driver was transported to nearby Baptist Health Corbin for treatment.

“This was a single vehicle accident, and we do suspect alcohol to be involved at this time,” Corbin Police Detective Robbie Hodge said at the scene. “One male passenger is deceased, and the driver, also male, was taken to the hospital. The investigation is ongoing, but it is safe to say right now that we will go ahead and file charges on the driver for murder.”

The identities of the occupants of the vehicle have not yet been released, but the News Journal will update this story with those details when they become available.

The roadway was closed for over two hours while investigators worked the scene, but it has since been re-opened to normal traffic.