A McHenry County woman was pronounced dead after being struck by her own vehicle and thrown into the opposite lane of traffic during an unusual three-vehicle accident on Western Kentucky Parkway on Wednesday night, August 8.

26-year-old Sarah B. Hatton was travelling west on the parkway at around mile marker 89, near Caneyville, when the accident occurred at approximately 11:37 p.m.

For unknown reasons, Hatton’s 1998 Pontiac Firebird left the roadway and traveled approximately 163 feet in the grass median before striking the end of a guardrail, according to Master Trooper Norman Chaffins, with the Kentucky State Police.

Hatton’s vehicle then spun counter clockwise before briefly coming to a rest in the passing lane on the westbound side of the parkway.

62-year-old truck driver Bennet W. Smith, of Summerville, Alabama was also westbound on the parkway at the time in a semi tractor trailer.

According to testimony given to officers, Smith was passing another semi when he saw the Firebird in the roadway. Smith told the officers that he attempted to avoid the car, but was unable to do so.

Smith said that he saw Hatton trying to run away from the vehicle as he struck the Firebird, which then struck down Hatton as she attempted to flee. She was thrown over 150 feet before landing on the pavement on the eastbound side of WK Parkway, according to Chaffins.

The tractor trailer then struck another tractor trailer, causing minor damage to its side. At that point, Smith lost control of his vehicle and jackknifed in the roadway, covering both directions of travel.

Hatton was taken by Grayson County EMS to Twin Lakes Regional Medical Center where she died from her wounds at approximately 11:54 p.m.

No one else was injured in the accident.

Parkway traffic was shut down from approximately five hours while officers and first responders worked diligently to clear the roadway.

Grayson County Sheriff’s Department began the investigation into the incident and called KSP to request a crash reconstructionist to take over and determine exactly what had occurred. The incident is currently being investigated by Chaffins.