A four-year-old Tennessee girl was killed and many were injured in a multiple-vehicle crash along the westbound lanes of I-24 near the 3 mile marker at Paducah on Sunday morning. The wreck shut down I-24 for over 6 hours. Eight passenger vehicles as well as a SEMI, were involved in the crash.
Paducah police were called to the scene at 9:47 a.m. According to a report by the Paducah Police, Narinder Kumar was driving a tractor-trailer rig west on the interstate and told Officer Dana Davie that when he saw traffic stopped, he was unable to stop in time to avoid the collision.
Kumar’s truck hit the rear of a 2013 Toyota Highlander driven by Michelle Wren, causing it to overturn. Wren was injured, and her daughter, Emery, was pronounced dead a short time later at Baptist Health Paducah by McCracken County Coroner Amanda Melton. Wren’s other two children; a seven year old boy and Emery’s twin sister sustained “possible injuries,” according to the collision report. WMOK has learned via a post on Facebook by the grandparents of the children that Mrs. Wren was taking the children to visit her parents in Chicago when the crash occured.
Kumar’s truck then proceeded to hit the other seven vehicles listed below before coming to rest against the cable barrier in the median. Kumar was not reported injured. William Brown; Frederick Kernan; Douglas Kaeser; Christopher Flach; and Steven Fincutter and his passenger, Abriel Odling, 28, of Elkhorn, WI, all were reported injured. All were taken to Mercy Health Lourdes Hospital or Baptist Health Baptist for treatment except Kernan, who was flown from the scene by helicopter to an out-of-state hospital. He was listed in stable condition this morning.
All vehicles except for Noah Spartz’s Ford Escape had to be towed from the scene, and debris littered the interstate for about a quarter mile. The interstate was closed for nearly seven hours.
The Paducah Police Department’s Collision Reconstruction Team and detectives are investigating.
This is the second fatal crash on that stretch of Interstate 24 in just more than a month.
Chief Brian Laird said the ongoing construction on the Ohio River bridge is a contributing factor in these collisions.
“We’ve been in contact with Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to ask them to assess the area to determine if there are other options regarding the approach to the construction zone, he said. It appears lack of attention is the main cause of this and most other collisions. Drivers need to be aware of their surroundings and pay attention to signage and reduced speed limits.
Laird expressed his appreciation for all of those who assisted officers Sunday morning, including passers-by and other motorists who helped with the children at the scene, the Paducah and Concord fire departments, McCracken County Emergency Management and the McCracken County Sheriff Department.
As of Monday afternoon names have been released of those involved in the crash.
Driver 1: Narinder Kumar, 32, of Glen Oak, NY, driving a 2022 KW Dart tractor-trailer rig owned by KM Georgia Trucking of Johns Creek, GA
Driver 2: Michelle Wren, 38, of Franklin, TN, driving a 2013 Toyota Highlander
Driver 3: William H. Brown, 54, of Murphy, NC, driving a 2020 Toyota Tacoma
Driver 4: Frederick B. Kernan, 65, of Rock Island, IL, driving a 2017 Subaru Outback
Driver 5: Douglas J. Kaeser, 56, of Crystal Lake, IL, driving a 2012 Ford Explorer
Driver 6: Noah T. Spartz, 22, of Goodwin, SD, driving a 2014 Ford Escape
Driver 7: Christopher Flach, 25, of West Paducah, driving a 2007 Dodge Ram pickup truck
Driver 8: Steven T. Fincutter, 28, of Elkhorn, WI, driving a 2013 Ford Explorer
Driver 9: Gerald Campbell, 50, of Sedalia, MO, driving a 2017 Chevrolet Traverse
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