Murray, Ky.–The Graves County Sheriff’s Office has identified the victims in Saturday’s fatal crash which also seriously injured a driver.
An SUV collided with the back of a fertilizer truck driven by a man from Hazel. The driver of the SUV was seriously injured and airlifted to a Nashville area hospital and the passenger died at a local hospital.
At approximately 11:50 AM Saturday, deputies and first responders were dispatched to the intersection of KY 1241 and KY 408 for a two-vehicle collision.
Deputies arrived to discover that Melissa Penn, age 26 of Hickory, was northbound on KY 1241 in a 2017 Chevrolet Trax SUV. Penn traveled through the above intersection and impacted with the rear of a fertilizer truck operated by Joe E. Cherry, age 77 of Hazel.
Cherry had just completed a right turn from KY 408 East onto KY 1241 to travel northbound. Cherry had completed his turn and was accelerating when Penn’s vehicle impacted with the rear, driver’s side of the Cherry vehicle.
Penn received serious injuries in the collision. She was transported by Mayfield / Graves County EMS to Mercy Health (Lourdes) Hospital in Paducah where she was then airlifted to a Nashville, TN area hospital.
A passenger in Penn’s vehicle, Deondra T. Jackson, 29 of Hickory, was transported to Jackson Purchase Medical Center by Mayfield / Graves County EMS. Due to injuries sustained in the crash, Jackson did not survive and was pronounced deceased by the Graves County Coroner’s Office.
Cherry was not injured.
Deputy Sheriff Zac Smith will continue the investigation into the collision. The Sheriff’s Office was assisted with this investigation by the Kentucky State Police, the Mayfield Police Department, the Mayfield Fire Department, Mayfield / Graves County EMS, the Graves County Coroner’s Office and the Viola / North Graves Fire Department.
KY 1241 at the KY 408 intersection was shut down for approximately two hours while the collision was investigated.
The Sheriff’s Office would like to offer our sincerest condolences and prayers to the Jackson family in the loss of Deondra.