Vehicles strike two homes in less than 10 hours, sheriff says

This car accidentally struck a house next to the Emlyn Post Office late Thursday afternoon. Less than 10 hours later, sheriff’s deputies investigated an unconnected incident in Rockholds where a different vehicle intentionally struck a house.

A Knoxville man has died from injuries sustained when his automobile struck a house in Emlyn on Aug. 3.

Officials with the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department stated Thursday afternoon that 63-year-old Mark Chambers died Tuesday at the University of Kentucky Medical Center.

Chambers had been airlifted from the scene of the crash on U.S. 25.

According to Sheriff Colan Harrell, Chambers was driving a car north on US25W when he left the roadway going through the Emlyn Post Office parking lot.

“He then went airborne approximately 48 feet striking a house belonging to Wanda Powers,” Harrell said.

The vehicle struck the rear portion of the home, which was an addition to the one-story wood-framed house.

Harrell said that authorities think a medical condition may have caused Chambers to lose control of the vehicle.

“He had several injuries. They are life threatening,” Harrell said Friday morning.

Chambers was treated at the scene before being taken by ambulance to Baptist Health Corbin. An Air Evac Lifeteam emergency medical helicopter then flew Chambers to UK

Harrell said that no one was injured inside the home when the accident occurred, and the home didn’t suffer a great deal of damage due to the crash.

“It could have been a lot worse,” he said. “It was just a tragic accident.”

Hours later, Whitley County Sheriff’s deputies investigated a second crash early Friday morning where a man allegedly intentionally rammed a car into a home in Rockholds.

Matthew Powers was at home when the crash took place. He had lived at the home for about six years, but it has been in his family for quite some time.

Powers said he had just went in the house to lay down to take a nap in his bedroom on the opposite side of the home where the vehicle struck the house.

“The next thing I know there is a big bang noise and my dog started barking. We came out and looked. There were tire tracks in the yard. We noticed a red car hit the house. A poor guy was slumped down. He was semi-responsive. He was almost out of it,” Powers said.

“We are thinking he just passed out with his foot on the gas. He came off the main highway there and just went like Duke’s of Hazard over the creek. He literally jumped the creek.”

Powers said that at least 20 emergency responders were in his yard trying to help Chambers.

“I hope he is going to be OK,” Powers added.

Powers said that this is the fourth time he can recall where a vehicle wrecked near the house.

Once a vehicle struck a bin where the garbage cans are placed in the front yard. Another time a vehicle almost fell off a small bridge/overpass in front of the home. Another time, a Firebird crashed coming to rest in the driveway, but this was the first time a vehicle had ever actually struck the home, Powers noted.

“I didn’t think it was possible to hit the house. I didn’t think it was possible for someone to jump over that creek there,” Powers added.

Harrell said that no drug or alcohol involvement is suspected in the crash.

He isn’t sure whether Chambers was wearing his seatbelts.

Second house struck

Hours later, sheriff’s deputies were working a second crash involving a home. This time the incident involved a domestic dispute, and the driver allegedly intentionally struck the home, Harrell said.

The crash was reported to police about 2:45 a.m. Friday on Short Street in Rockholds.

Deputy Brian Hensley responded to the scene and observed that a vehicle had struck the home.

“During his investigation, it was revealed that it was a domestic and it was an intentional striking of the house,” Harrell said.

The driver of the vehicle fled the scene.

“It is suspected that drugs were in use,” Harrell added.

He said that both the house and vehicle sustained damage, but he wasn’t sure what the extent of the damage was.

Harrell said that the driver could potentially be facing destruction of private property and criminal mischief charges among other possible offenses. As of Tuesday morning though, the homeowner hadn’t obtained an arrest warrant.

Hensley did arrest two people Friday morning, who were attempting to leave the scene, for public intoxication, Harrell noted.