Madisonville, KY — A man was hospitalized following a three-vehicle accident in Madisonville, Kentucky, on Wednesday, May 13, 2015. The accident took place on Pennyrile Parkway, near mile marker 40.
Police identified William Ward as the driver who hit a deer that came into the road. Ward pulled off onto the left side of the road, with his vehicle partially in the median. A police officer parked behind him and got out to render aid.
Karen Orten was also traveling on the road, and as she approached the two vehicles, lost control and the passenger side of her car crashed into the unmarked police cruiser parked behind Ward.
Ward was traveling with two passengers at the time. They and the police officer had exited their vehicles and weren’t injured in the crash. Irvin Dulin, a passenger inside Orten’s vehicle, was pinned inside and had to be extricated by emergency workers. He was then taken to Baptist Health Madisonville before being taken to St. Mary’s. The nature of his injuries isn’t clear.
The accident is still being investigated, and it’s unclear if Orten was cited by police.
Scene of the Accident
View from the Road
Commentary
What caused this crash to happen? Was Orten driving too fast? Was she not paying attention to the road and didn’t see the parked car until it was too late? If she’s found to be at fault for the accident, then it’s possible that she could be held liable for her passenger’s injuries. Drivers have a responsibility to their passengers to provide a safe environment while out on the road, so to speak. If a driver is not paying attention and gets into an accident because of it, they haven’t lived up to that obligation, and can be held responsible for it.
— Grossman Law Offices
