Goshen man in critical but stable condition following six-vehicle wreck

A Goshen man is in critical but stable condition at a Louisville hospital after police say he sustained life-threatening injuries in a six-vehicle wreck Monday afternoon on Interstate 65 in Elizabethtown.

John R. Warner, 61, was injured in the multi-vehicle wreck, which occurred around 2:30 p.m. Monday near southbound Exit 94, according to a news release from Kentucky State Police Post 4.

Jerry D. Compton, 60, of Leitchfield, was driving south in a semi-truck in the center lane when he struck the rear of Warner’s 2013 Ford Escape, causing it to go airborne and land overturned in the left lane, police said.

The semi-truck continued south and struck a 2005 Pontiac Montana that was stopped in traffic, according to police. The van, which was driven by Tanya R. Martz, 38, of Greensburg, then struck the rear of a 2011 Ford Transit Connect.

The Montana spun into the left lane and stopped, police said. However, the Transit Connect turned sideways in the center lane and was struck by the Freightliner, which pushed the van into the rear of another semi-truck, according to the release.

As the Transit was spinning sideways, police said it struck a Jeep Commander in the passenger door.

The Ford’s driver, Natalie F. Mudd, 35, of Shelbyville, and Martz were transported to Hardin Memorial Hospital, police said.

Martz was treated and released, but Mudd later was transferred by ambulance to University Hospital in Louisville, according to the release.

Sgt. Greg Hill is investigating the collision.

The crash is at least the third multi-vehicle wreck in a three-day stretch that occurred on I-65 in Hardin County.

In total, six people have died and two have sustained life-threatening injuries, according to reports from KSP. Each of these wrecks started when a vehicle failed to stop for slowing traffic.

Asked if Post 4 would launch initiatives in response to these wrecks, spokesman Norman Chaffins said I-65 is the most heavily traveled roadway in the Elizabethtown post’s area and also the most heavily enforced. The post already has saturated patrols on the interstate and campaigns in effect to remove aggressive, distracted and impaired drivers from the roadway, Chaffins said.

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