BARREN COUNTY, KY — Kentucky State Police say a Wednesday morning crash in Barren County left one man dead and sent two other people to hospitals, including one who was flown for treatment. Troopers responded to the wreck at about 7:10 a.m. at Scottsville Road and Old Scottsville Road Loop Third Road.
Investigators later identified the man who died at the scene as 40-year-old Martin Hernandez. They said 21-year-old Adrick Ward of Glasgow, who was riding in Hernandez’s vehicle, was flown to TriStar Skyline Medical Center. The driver of the other vehicle, 18-year-old Brock Lykins of Glasgow, was also taken to T.J. Samson Community Hospital.
Troopers say the northbound driver lost control on U.S. 31-E
According to the preliminary investigation, Lykins was driving north on 31-E when he lost control of his vehicle. Troopers say his vehicle crossed the centerline and struck Hernandez’s vehicle in the opposite lane.
The crash remains under investigation, and state police have not said what caused Lykins to lose control. Officials also have not released additional details about the circumstances leading up to the collision, including weather, road conditions or whether speed played a role.
Because the investigation is still active, troopers have not announced any charges or citations. WNKY reported that the roadway was initially closed while investigators worked the scene and reconstructed the crash.
Hernandez was pronounced dead at the scene
State police said Hernandez died where the crash happened. Ward, his passenger, was injured badly enough to require a flight to the Nashville hospital for further care.
Troopers did not immediately release information about the extent of Ward’s injuries. They also have not provided any update on Lykins’s condition beyond saying he was transported to T.J. Samson Community Hospital to be treated for his injuries.
The death marks the most serious outcome of the collision, and the identification of Hernandez came in a later update from Kentucky State Police. Authorities had initially said only that one person had died and another had been taken for treatment.
Emergency crews from across the county responded to the scene
Kentucky State Police said the Barren County Sheriff’s Office, Barren County EMS and other KSP personnel assisted at the crash site. Their presence helped secure the area, care for the injured and support the reconstruction work underway that morning.
Road closure information changed as the scene was processed. By late morning, Trooper Katan Parker said both lanes of travel had reopened, after motorists were first asked to find an alternate route while investigators worked.
That sequence is typical in major collision investigations, where officers need time to document debris, vehicle positions and roadway marks before traffic can safely resume. Police did not say how long the roadway remained restricted, only that it was reopened after the scene was cleared.
The crash happened at a busy Barren County intersection
The collision took place near Scottsville Road and Old Scottsville Road Loop Third Road, a location that sits along a key corridor for local traffic in the Glasgow area. State police said the wreck involved two vehicles and happened during the early morning commute window.
That timing likely added to the disruption, since investigators shut down the roadway while they worked. For drivers in the area, the closure meant finding another route until troopers finished the initial reconstruction and reopened both directions.
Police have not said whether any witnesses were interviewed at the scene or whether additional evidence will be used as the case moves forward. The location and timing, however, make clear why the response drew several agencies and why traffic delays followed.
Kentucky State Police say the investigation remains open
As of the latest update, Kentucky State Police said the investigation was ongoing and additional details had not been released. That means troopers are still reviewing the crash and determining exactly how the vehicles came together.
For now, the confirmed facts are limited to the identities of the victims and the sequence described by investigators: Lykins traveling north, losing control, crossing the centerline and colliding with Hernandez’s vehicle. Police have not released any further findings about fault or contributing factors.
WNKY described the crash as a developing story, and state police said more information could be released later. Until then, the case stands as a fatal collision that left one man dead, one passenger flown to a hospital and one driver hospitalized in Glasgow.
Local news that matters, from Dulaney Griffin.
