Six-vehicle crash shuts down southbound I-65

For at least the third time in three days, a portion of Interstate 65 shut down Monday afternoon while emergency crews worked the scene of a multi-vehicle wreck.

Jill Pickett

Emergency personnel work at a multi-vehicle wreck Monday afternoon on southbound Interstate 65 at exit 94 in Elizabethtown.

Buy this photo

Jill Pickett

Emergency workers tend to a crash victim after extricating her from the van sandwiched between two tractor-trailers Monday afternoon on southbound Interstate 65 at exit 94 in Elizabethtown.

Buy this photo

Jill Pickett

Firefighters work to free a crash victim from a van sandwiched between two tractor-trailers Monday afternoon on southbound Interstate 65 at exit 94 in Elizabethtown.

Buy this photo

Jill Pickett

A medical helicopter flies a crash victim from the scene of a multi-vehicle wreck as emergency workers continue working to aid another victim Monday afternoon on southbound Interstate 65 at exit 94 in Elizabethtown.

Buy this photo

Jill Pickett

Emergency workers tend to a crash victim after extricating her from the van sandwiched between two tractor-trailers Monday afternoon on southbound Interstate 65 at exit 94 in Elizabethtown.

Buy this photo

At 2:30 p.m. Monday, Kentucky State Police, Elizabethtown Fire Department and Hardin County EMS responded near mile-marker 94 on I-65 South in reference to an injury collision.

Elizabethtown Fire Chief Mike Hulsey said among the vehicles involved were two semi-trucks and two vans.

The department responded with nine firefighters who rescued a woman pinned between two semi-trucks, he said. She was transported from the scene by ambulance.

Another driver was airlifted from the scene with critical injuries, according to Kentucky State Police.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet closed I-65 South at mile-marker 94 and detoured traffic off Exit 102 at Ky. 313 to U.S. 31W through Elizabethtown. Traffic between the crash and detour point was routed over the Exit 94 ramps and around the crash.

The closure was expected to last more than two hours, according to transportation cabinet.

Just after 5 p.m., the cabinet announced wreckers had arrived to remove vehicles and cleanup was under way.

On Saturday, two multi-vehicle wrecks near Sonora shut down portions of I-65 in both directions between mile-markers 81 and 86.

The first wreck occurred in northbound lanes and involved three vehicles.

According to Kentucky State Police, Ibrahim Fetic, 47, of Troy, Mich., was driving a semi-truck northbound when his vehicle struck a Ford Expedition in front of him near mile-marker 83. The SUV immediately caught fire and rear ended a Toyota Avalon in front of it.

Six died and three were injured in the wreck.

Approximately 16 minutes later, police said a wreck involving four vehicles occurred near that same location in the southbound lanes.

Gregory Lohman, 36, of Goodlettsville, Tenn., was slowing for the wreck in the opposite lanes when he was rear ended by a semi-truck that failed to brake for traffic, according to police. Lohman’s vehicle rear ended a Saturn SUV, which then hit a Chevrolet SUV in front of it.

According to KSP, Lohman sustained critical injuries and two others were transported to Hardin Memorial Hospital with minor injuries.

Sarah Bennettcan be reached at (270) 505-1750 or sbennett@thenewsenterprise.com.