UPDATE: Police accuse reckless driver of causing fiery semi-truck crash on I-75

Kentucky State Police say an Ohio man was driving recklessly and under the influence of alcohol when he lost control of his car on Interstate 75 resulting in a fiery crash with a tractor-trailer truck that shut down traffic in both directions Friday night.

Twenty-year-old Aaron Murray of Cincinnati, Ohio, is scheduled to be arraigned in Laurel District Court today on charges of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol/drugs and no insurance.
Murray is free on a $2,500 cash bond.

According to Sergeant Greg Reams of Kentucky State Police Division of Commercial Vehicle Enforcement, the wreck occurred just after 8 p.m. when Murray’s 1998 Honda Accord, went out of control and wrecked on the bridge over the Laurel River near the 31-mile marker.

“Multiple reports came in about the car whipping in an out of traffic while travelling at a high rate of speed,” Reams said.
Vehicle Enforcement Officer Steve Douglas added that Murray hit the retaining wall on one side of the bridge, slid across both lanes of traffic and struck the other retaining wall, and bounced off again, striking the Federal Express truck driven by Anthony Brown of Atlanta, Ga.

Reams said the collision ruptured a fuel tank on the truck and the heat from the engine sparked the fire

Ann Sargent of Somerset, who was travelling north, said flames were initially coming from the right side near the fender and then spread up into the passenger side of the cab.

“It was just this big pillar of smoke,” Sargent said.

Aaron Edmonson of Berea was also travelling north and saw the truck bust through the cable barrier and stop in the median with flames shooting out.

Edmonson, Sargent and several others ran toward the truck to help when the driver did not get out.

Edmonson said he could hear Brown screaming for help, noting that he appeared to be trapped inside by the fire on one side and cables up against the door on the other.

“Another driver had stopped and I asked him if he had any tools,” Edmonson said. “He handed me a set of channel locks and I used it to smash the window of the truck. When I broke the window, the driver came flying out.”

Reams said Brown was not visibly injured and was walking around as emergency personnel worked to extinguish the blaze.
The tractor portion of the truck was destroyed by the fire.

Murray, Brown and an unidentified passenger in the Honda were all taken to Baptist Health Corbin where they were treated and released.

Reams said a blood sample was also taken from Murray to determine whether he was under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
One lane of northbound traffic was reopened about 9:15 p.m..

Southbound traffic was diverted off of the interstate at exit 38 and down U.S. 25 to exit 29. One lane was reopened about 10:10 p.m.

West Knox Fire Department, Laurel County Emergency Management and Laurel County Division of Public Safety assisted at the scene.