The identity of the man killed on the Western Kentucky Parkway Thursday afternoon has been released.
The Grayson County Coroner’s Office said the victim was 68-year-old Herbert Wharton, of Cadiz (the two women with Wharton said they were from Christian County, which is only a few miles from Cadiz).
Upon arriving at the scene, multiple first responders said that it appeared as if Wharton was traveling west in a 2001 Lincoln Town Car when he decided to pull over on the shoulder and relieve himself.
After going to the bathroom on the side of the parkway, Wharton apparently walked to the driver’s side passenger door — on the edge of the westbound parkway’s right lane — to get a soda out of a cooler in the back seat. At that time, a 2004 Chevrolet Express delivery van pulling a trailer and being driven by 43-year-old Gary Park, of St. Louis, Missouri, struck the victim and nearly ripped the back door off the vehicle.
(One first responder told K105 that the passenger car was parked nearly on the white line separating the right lane and shoulder.)
CPR was performed at the scene by a passerby and Stanton. Wharton was then transported to Owensboro Health Twin Lakes Medical Center (OHTLMC) by EMS where he was pronounced deceased a short time later by Deputy Grayson County Coroner Larry Holeman. Deputy Coroner James Embry also responded to OHTLMC.
The two women traveling with Wharton, and Park, were not injured.
Kentucky State Police accident reconstructionist Kevin Dreisbach is leading the investigation.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
