Laurel County, KY — January 13, 2026, William Darnell was killed in a truck accident at about 3 a.m. on Interstate 75 near New Bernstadt.
Authorities said a Nissan Altima was heading south near mile marker 46 when it crashed into the back end of a semi-truck.
Nissan driver William Darnell, 30, of Corbin died from injuries suffered in the crash, according to authorities.
The truck driver was charged with driving under the influence of a controlled substance after he admitted to using cocaine before the accident, authorities said.
Authorities have not released any additional information about the Laurel County crash at this time.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
When a crash involves a passenger vehicle hitting the back of an 18-wheeler, most people assume the car driver must be at fault. But this case raises a much more complicated, and serious, question: What was a truck driver who admitted to using cocaine doing on the road in the first place?
We know from reports that the trucker has been charged with driving under the influence of a controlled substance after admitting he had used cocaine. What we don’t know is whether the truck was moving or stopped at the time of the crash, or whether it was parked illegally on the shoulder or in a lane of travel. That matters a great deal in understanding what caused the fatal collision.
Depending on those facts, very different legal questions come into play. For example:
- If the truck was moving slowly or had just re-entered the highway after stopping, was it traveling below a safe speed without lights or warning signals?
- If it was stopped on the highway, was it disabled, or just parked where it shouldn’t have been?
- Did the driver’s drug use affect how or where he stopped?
- Did the trucking company know, or have reason to know, about the driver’s drug use?
These are not theoretical questions. They’re the kinds of questions that black box data, dash cam footage and GPS logs can help answer. If the truck had a functioning ECM (engine control module), it would show whether the truck was accelerating, braking or stopped at the time of impact. Cell phone records, drug screening logs and the driver’s employment file might reveal how this driver was allowed behind the wheel in the first place.
In one case I handled, a trucking company hired a driver with multiple job terminations, failed drug tests and a record of poor performance. The company put him back on the road with almost no vetting. When that driver caused a serious crash, it became clear that the real issue wasn’t just one person’s bad decision; it was a company culture that ignored the obvious.
That’s why focusing solely on the immediate collision — “Who hit who?” — can miss the deeper causes. A full investigation needs to ask how someone under the influence of cocaine was operating an 80,000-pound vehicle on an interstate in the early morning hours. And unless someone demands that investigation, the most important answers may never come to light.
Key Takeaways
- It’s unclear whether the truck was stopped or moving at the time of the crash, an important unanswered question.
- The truck driver reportedly admitted to using cocaine and was charged with DUI, raising serious concerns about oversight and hiring practices.
- Truck ECM data, dash cams and cell phone records are key to understanding how the crash happened.
- The trucking company’s role, especially in allowing an impaired driver on the road, must be investigated.
- Legal responsibility can extend beyond the driver to the company that failed to screen, supervise or disqualify him.
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