Deputies said a pickup truck, driven by 19-year-old Taylor Smith of Bardwell, ran off the right shoulder of the roadway and struck a tree with the driver’s side door. Smith was trapped in the truck and had to be extricated by the Mayfield Fire Department and a local wrecker service. Smith was pronounced dead at the scene by the Graves County Coroner’s Office.
Deputies said Smith was apparently traveling westbound on KY 80 West, when he went into the eastbound lane and then over-corrected. The truck turned sideways in the roadway, ran off the right shoulder and collided with the tree.
Smith was not wearing a seat belt. Deputies said speed and driver distraction appear to be factors in the collision. KY 80 West was closed in both directions for approximately two hours until the scene was cleared.
