Bystander helps injured driver after wreck at US 45 intersection in Ky. | News

MCCRACKEN COUNTY, KY (KFVS) - The McCracken County Sheriff's Department responded to a call of a wreck at the intersection of US 45 and Lovelaceville Florence Station Road West on Wednesday.

According to the sheriff's department, when deputies arrived on scene around 10:59 a.m. they found Laura D. Willis, 58, from Mayfield was driving a maroon 1998 Ford Windstar westbound on Lebanon Church Road approaching US 45. Deputies say Willis was going across all four lanes of US 45 to turn west on Lovelaceville Florence Station Road West, but failed to see oncoming traffic southbound on US 45.

Deputies said Danial W. Donaldson, 57, from Paducah was driving southbound on US 45 in a blue 2003 Volkswagon Jetta approaching the intersection of US 45 and Lovelaceville Florence Station Road West. As Donaldson came to the intersection, they say Willis drove westbound in front of him and he was unable to stop before hitting the van.

According to deputies, the wreck caused the van to spin and overturn onto the roof where it slid on the ground for several yards before coming to a rest on Lovelaceville Florence Station Road West. Unfortunately, deputies say Willis had her left arm outside the window during the wreck, which caused her left arm to be trapped between the van roof and the asphalt, amputating her left arm.

After the Jetta hit the van, deputies say they left US 45 onto Lovelaceville Florence Station Road West, hitting a third vehicle that was stopped facing eastbound at the intersection. The third vehicle was a white 2000 Ford F-250 driven by Calvin N. Jones, 51, from Brookport.

According to the sheriff's department, Wayne Beyer, 60, from Paducah was a witness to the wreck and stopped his vehicle to help the drivers involved. Deputies say when Beyer found Willis severely injured with her left arm amputated from the wreck, he began administering first aid. They say Beyer helped Willis from the vehicle and used his belt as a tourniquet to stop her bleeding. He then helped her until emergency personnel arrived. The sheriff's department says Beyer's actions not only helped emergency responders, but also helped ensure that Willis would have a high likelihood of surviving.

Willis was treated at the scene by Mercy Regional EMS and then taken to Lourdes Hospital. Donaldson and Jones were uninjured. The sheriff's department says Lovelaceville Florence Station Road was closed at the intersection of US 45 for about an hour and a half for the investigation and clean-up of the road.                                                                                                    

The McCracken County Sheriffs Department was assisted on scene by Mercy Regional EMS and the Lone Oak Fire Department.

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