I-24 reopened after deadly, multi-vehicle crash in Marshall Co.

MARSHALL COUNTY, Ky. (KFVS) - All lanes on Interstate 24 near the 28 mile marker are open following a deadly crash involving multiple vehicles on Wednesday afternoon, August 25.

The lanes of I-24 in Marshall County were reopened shortly after 1 a.m. on Thursday.

All of the debris and a recovery crew has completed off-loading the remaining light oil from a SEMI tanker truck involved in the crash.

According to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, a crash reconstruction investigation was completed at the site by Kentucky State Police (KSP).

Curt Curtner, chief deputy with the Marshall County Coroner’s Office, reported the driver of the SEMI, 63-year-old Gary Johnson of Louisiana, was killed in the crash. He died at the scene and his family has been notified.

KSP said the investigation shows that at 11 a.m. Johnson was driving in the right lane in a 2019 Peterbilt SEMI-tractor trailer when he hit an abandoned vehicle on the side of the road.

Johnson then swerved to the left lane, causing a 2015 Kenworth SEMI-tractor trailer to run off the roadway into a median.

KSP says Johnson’s rig hit the median, partly went into the eastbound lane, where his SEMI overturned and caught on fire.

The Kenworth SEMI-tractor trailer also crossed the eastbound lane of traffic and crashed into a tree line on the southside of the roadway.

KSP also said a 2011 Ford Fiesta was traveling east on I-24 when it hit both trucks.

No other injures were reported.

KSP said the investigation is ongoing.

KYTC reported that traffic near the crash site was gridlocked for most of the day, especially along U.S. 62, which served as the immediate detour for this location.