Published: January 03, 2008 08:31 pm      

18-year-old seriously injured in U.S. 150 crash

Highway was closed for hours as woman for extrication, investigation

Traffic stood at a standstill for hours Wednesday just west of Greenville after a wreck that left an 18-year-old in critical condition.

Floyd County Sheriff Darrell Mills said a tanker truck loaded with fuel was traveling west on U.S. 150 around 10 a.m. when Heather Price, 18, of Lanesville, pulled out from Ind. 335, driving into the path of the truck.

Police say the truck hit Price’s Honda, shoving it across the road where it ended up in a ditch. The truck came to a stop on top of Price’s hood, trapping her inside.

A Skycare helicopter to transport Price to a Louisville hospital soon arrived to the scene, but was left running as the Greenville and Lafayette Volunteer Fire Departments worked for more than an hour to extricate Price from the wreckage.

Meanwhile, the road was shut down backing up traffic along U.S. 150.

Some drivers were able to turn around. Others, such as Jim Uhl, of Palmyra, couldn’t because of the size of their semi-trucks.

“I have one more load to deliver” he said, looking ahead at the flashing lights closing off the road. “This just makes the day long.”

Officers working the scene helped drivers get on their way by having them turn around in a nearby subdivision.

By noon, one lane opened back up to traffic. However, the other remained closed with the tanker still on top of the crushed car, causing many passing drivers to slow to see the wreckage.

The Sheriff’s Department along with the Combined Accident Reconstruction Team are investigating the accident.