Three young Grayson County residents have been injured in a crash on the Western Kentucky Parkway after a tire blew out on their vehicle.
Saturday afternoon at approximately 3:00, the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office, Kentucky State Police, Clarkson and Leitchfield Fire Departments, and EMS responded to the near the 111 mile marker of the eastbound parkway on the report of a single-vehicle accident.
Based on marks at the scene and the police investigation, 24-year-old Jordan Cates, of Leitchfield, was traveling west on the parkway when it appears the driver’s side front tire blew out, causing Cates to almost immediately lose control of a Ford F-250 truck.
The truck entered the median and went airborne as it left the median, traveling into the eastbound lanes. At some point the vehicle flipped at least once before striking a guardrail.
Passenger Ethan Cates, 18, of Leitchfield, was ejected from the truck, landing in the middle of the eastbound lanes. He suffered multiple injuries including a severely injured arm that, according to multiple first responders, was treated almost immediately by three nurses who happened to be traveling on the parkway and stopped to help.
The three women fashioned two makeshift tourniquets, using the victim’s belt and shirt, and placed them on Ethan Cates’ arm to stop the bleeding. The nurses’ quick action quite possibly saved Cates from bleeding to death, first responders said, as EMS was en route to the accident. Cates also suffered a deep gash to his face.
(The identity of the three nurses is not known, as they apparently left the scene before K105 was able to speak with them.)
Jordan Cates was critically injured, as he suffered multiple broken bones, including a skull fracture and brain bleed, as well as spinal and shoulder fractures, according to a source familiar with his condition. Another passenger, Grace Bernhard, 16, of Clarkson, suffered multiple injuries, including two rib fractures, and a wrist fracture along with two significant lacerations to her leg and side, according to the source.
Both Cates’ were airlifted from the parkway and transported to University of Louisville Hospital where the brothers are currently being treated. Bernhard was treated at Twin Lakes Regional Medical Center and later released.
Responding to and working the scene were Grayson County Deputies Rance Whobrey, Mark Newman, and Sgt. Fred Norder, Constable Mark Stanton, and Clarkson Police Chief Buck Meredith.
Kentucky State Trooper Brandon Brooks led the accident investigation and conducted a reconstruction of the wreck.
The parkway was shut down in both directions for about two-and-a-half hours as first responders worked the scene and Brooks reconstructed the accident.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com or 270-259-6000
