Published Sept. 15, 1992 in the Lexington Herald Leader

Ambulance-coal truck crash kills four in Johnson County

By LEE MUELLER
Lexington Herald Leader Eastern Kentucky Bureau

OIL SPRINGS — At least four people were killed yesterday when an ambulance slammed head-on into a loaded 18-wheel coal truck on U.S. 460 in Johnson County between Paintsville and Salyersville, authorities said.

The truck pushed the ambulance backward 100 feet across the road and into a ditch lime. The truck's cab nearly flattened the smaller vehicle beneath it while its trailer overturned, spilling coal across the road.

The ambulance caught fire and both vehicles exploded into flames.

There were no survivors. Six hours after the 5:15 p.m. collision, rescue workers were still attempting to determine how many bodies were in the mangled wreckage, said Johnson Chief Deputy Buck Cyrus.

At least four people were killed, Cyrus said, but he said there might be as many as six victims. He said officials were uncertain about the number of people in the ambulance, which was returning to Magoffin County from Paintsville.

Two bodies had been recovered by 9:30 p.m., Cyrus said. U.S. 460 was closed between Oil Springs and Paintsville. Traffic was rerouted along Ky. 40.

Carter Conley, chief officer of the Magoffin County rescue squad, said rescue workers found one body under the truck's overturned trailer. He said officials probably would need dental records to identify three bodies found thus far in the ambulance wreckage.

A dispatcher at Magoffin County G&B Ambulance Service, which owns the emergency vehicle that was in the wreck, declined to say how many people were in the ambulance. She said victims would not be identified until relatives were notified.

Mike LeMaster of the Magoffin rescue squad said he had been told there were five victims, including the truck driver and four people in the ambulance. But Kentucky State Police and Johnson County officials declined last night to confirm the report.

The accident occurred on a long, gradual curve in the road, about 8 miles west of Paintsville near the Magoffin line.

Johnson sheriff's Capt. Don McFaddin said the Mack tractor-trailer was eastbound when it crashed into the ambulance.

Two eyewitnesses -- a woman motorist and a coal-truck driver -- said Kentucky State Police told them not to comment on the accident.

Trooper Scott Hazelette said it appeared impact occurred "somewhere close to the center line."

Cyrus, of the Johnson sheriff's office, said he did not know which vehicle was at fault. "But the point of impact looked like it was in the eastbound lane."

Conley, the Magoffin rescue squad officer, said authorities told him the westbound ambulance had pulled over into the eastbound lane to pass another vehicle when the crash occurred.

"Apparently the ambulance driver didn't see the coal truck coming," Conley said.

The accident occurred in front of the residence of Betty Blanton, who lives near Oil Springs and said she heard the crash.

"I never saw a soul," she said.

KENTUCKY EMS MEMORIAL

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