Williamsburg man dies in head-on crash near Corbin Tuesday

John Les Fore of Williamsburg was killed Tuesday and three other people were airlifted in separate wrecks on U.S. 25W and Highway 6.

Fore was pronounced dead at the scene of a two-vehicle wreck on U.S. 25W at 5:30 p.m. when he was ejected from his Pontiac Bonneville after it was T-boned by a Chevrolet pickup truck.

Whitley County Sheriff’s Deputy Brett Reeves said Fore was traveling north when he lost control of his car and slid off the roadway. As Fore tried to regain control, he came back onto the roadway sideways. His car was struck on the passenger side by the pickup truck traveling south, ejecting Fore.

Reeves said the three people in the pickup truck, whose names were not available as of press time, were taken to the hospital. One female was flown to the University of Kentucky Medical Center, one male was flown to the University of Kentucky Medical Center and a second female was taken to Baptist Regional Medical Center.

The road was closed to traffic for about three hours as emergency personnel worked to clear the scene.

Reeves was assisted at the scene by other Whitley County Sheriff’s deputies, Corbin Police, Whitley County EMS, Oak Grove Fire Department, Whitley County Coroner J. Andy Croley, Constable Jim Thorton, Ambulance Inc. of Laurel County, LifeNet and Air Evac.

Earlier Tuesday, A teenage driver with no license and no insurance in a car with no tags flipped over his car on Highway 6 and was partially ejected along with the passenger.

“When I arrived on the scene the juvenile was hanging out the back window and the passenger’s feet was hanging out of the sunroof,” Thorton said.

Thorton identified the passenger as Margie Vogel, 21, of Woodbine. Because of the juvenile’s age, Thorton declined to release his name.

Thorton said the juvenile was traveling at a high rate of speed west on Highway 6 in the Woodbine area about noon when the Lincoln Mark VII went into a ditch and flipped at least once before coming to rest against a stop sign at the intersection of Highway 6 and School Road.

Keith Ridener, who owns a tobacco store about a mile from the wreck, said the Lincoln came by his store moment before the wreck traveling in excess of 100 mph.

“I just heard a loud boom and just knew another car had wrecked there,” said Joey Litteral, who lives across the road from the scene of the wreck.

Thorton said the juvenile was taken to Baptist Regional Medical Center while Vogel was airlifted to the University of Kentucky Medical Center.

Thorton cited the juvenile for driving without a license, no insurance improper registration.
Woodbine Fire Department, Whitley County EMS and Whitley County Deputy Ronnie Bowling assisted at the scene.