Published: May 29, 2007 11:41 pm      

Grayson man, 20, killed in I-64 crash

HUNTINGTON — One Grayson man was killed and two others were injured, one critically, in a Memorial Day accident on Interstate 64 in Huntington.

Joshua J. Griffith, 20, of Grayson, was pronounced dead at the accident scene, Huntington Police Sgt. Daren McNeil said.

Tyler Everman, 19, the driver of the Volkswagen New Beetle in which Griffith was a front-seat passenger, was taken to St. Mary’s Hospital where he was listed in critical condition Tuesday.

According to McNeil, Everman, Griffith and another passenger, Shawn V. Thomas, 18, of Rush, were traveling westbound when the accident occurred about 3:30 p.m. near the Fifth Street exit of I-64.

Witnesses told police the Beetle was traveling at a high rate of speed as it attempted to pass a Dodge Dakota pickup driven by Teresa J. Kuhn, 42, of Huntington.

Kuhn was traveling in the left-hand lane; Everman in the right-hand lane. Kuhn apparently thought the Beetle was about to make contact with her vehicle as it was passing and slammed on her brakes in order to avoid a collision, McNeil said.

Everman’s car then veered into the median, where it went airborne and rolled over several times, he said.

McNeil said there was a mark on Kuhn’s truck that appeared to be a paint transfer from the Beetle, indicating that the two vehicles did, in fact, make contact. However, he said he did not believe it was the bump that sent Everman’s vehicle out of control.

“It appears that it was more the speed that did it,” he said.

None of the occupants of the Beetle were wearing seat belts, McNeil said. Griffith and Everman both were ejected from the car.

Thomas, a rear-seat passenger, was not ejected. He was also also taken to St. Mary’s, where he was listed in good condition Tuesday.

Griffith, Everman and Thomas all had been working in Proctorville and were en route home to Carter County when the accident occurred, McNeil said.

Neither Kuhn nor the two passengers in her vehicle, Danielle Lewis, 22, and Marcus Lewis, 8 months, of Kenova, were injured.

The accident is still under investigation and likely will remain so “for a long time,” McNeil said.

The mishap slowed I-64 traffic for several hours. Both of the westbound lanes were closed and traffic was reduced to one lane on the eastbound side.

Griffith’s death was the only Memorial Day weekend traffic fatality in the area. No one died on northeastern Kentucky’s roadways, according to a report released Tuesday by the Kentucky State Police.

Statewide, there were five fatal accidents during the holiday period, which began at 6 p.m. Friday and ended at midnight Monday, the KSP said. Those accidents occurred in Fayette, Pike, Pulaski, Owen and Todd counties.

Last year, 16 people lost their lives on Kentucky’s roads over Memorial Day weekend, the KSP said.

KENNETH HART can be reached at khart@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2654.