Corbin woman dies in crash near Kmart Tuesday

A Corbin woman was pronounced dead Tuesday morning from injuries she sustained when her car was broadsided by a pickup truck on U.S. 25E in front of Kmart.

Corbin Police Colonel David Maiden said 66-year-old Mary Napier was attempting to turn left into the Kmart parking lot when her Honda Civic was hit on the passenger’s side by the Ford F350 driven by Willie Frost of Corbin.

The two vehicles then crashed through several street signs and went into a culvert in front of the store where they came to rest.
Maiden said emergency personnel were able to open the driver’s side door of the car to get Napier out of the vehicle.
Knox County EMS transported Napier to Baptist Health Corbin where she was pronounced dead.

Frost reportedly told police he was travelling about 55 mph as he approached the intersection where he the green light.
Napier had the flashing yellow “yield” arrow, but according to Frost she did not make an attempt to stop as she came to the intersection.

Maiden said at the time of the wreck, the sun was at a level in the sky to make it difficult for drivers travelling south on U.S. 25E to see oncoming traffic.

Frost was towing a trailer hauling a backhoe. Despite the collision the backhoe remained on the trailer.

Maiden noted that Napier had been staying with her daughter in Bowling Green following the death of her husband several months ago. She had just recently returned to the area.

As is standard in a fatal wreck, Whitley County Coroner J. Andrew Croley said blood samples were taken from Napier to perform toxicology tests.

However, Maiden said neither drugs nor alcohol are suspected to have been a factor in the crash.

Corbin firefighters assisted at the scene.