A Hardin County man faces multiple charges after reportedly driving recklessly at speeds over 100 mph that led to a fiery crash in Hopkins County.
Madisonville Police reported that around 7:45 Thursday morning, Interdiction Officers saw an SUV speeding on Interstate 69 and weaving through traffic, forcing other cars to brake suddenly. They said the SUV exceeded 100 mph, left the road northbound at the 111-mile marker, hit a light pole, caught fire, and flipped over.
Police said the driver, 39-year-old Ronald McKenzie of Elizabethtown, escaped his SUV before it was engulfed in flames and then jumped over a barbed wire fence and fled on foot. Police said he was apprehended after stopping when warned of a K-9 release.
Authorities stated that McKenzie was taken to the emergency room at Baptist Health Deaconess for assessment of possible injuries. After being cleared, he was transported and lodged in the Hopkins County jail on charges of resisting arrest, fleeing or evading police on foot, wanton endangerment, and three other violations.
Madisonville Police was assisted on the scene by the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office and the Earlington Volunteer Fire Department.
