A Memorial Day drive on Girkin Road ended in tragedy, and now a Bowling Green man is behind bars, accused of causing a wreck that killed one person and sent four others to the hospital. Authorities say the vehicle left the roadway, slammed into a tree, and trapped both the driver and his front-seat passenger. The driver, 39-year-old Onrico Wilson, was first treated at a Louisville hospital, then booked into the Warren County Regional Jail on a slate of serious charges.
According to WNKY, deputies with the Warren County Sheriff’s Office were called around 5:27 p.m. on May 25 to the 500 block of Girkin Road for a single-vehicle collision. Investigators say the vehicle dropped off the right side of the road, the driver overcorrected, and the car struck a tree. The driver and front passenger were trapped and had to be extricated, while three other passengers were removed with help from the Bowling Green Fire Department and flown to trauma centers in the Louisville and Nashville areas.
Victim and injuries
Front-seat passenger Robert Wilson, 70, was flown to a Louisville hospital and died from his injuries the following day, investigators told WBKO. The outlet reports that all five occupants were transported to Louisville-area trauma centers, and that emergency crews from Medical Center EMS, Bowling Green Fire Department and Richardsville Fire assisted at the scene. Authorities have not released any further updates on the conditions of the surviving passengers.
Arrest and charges
The driver, identified as 39-year-old Onrico Wilson of Bowling Green, was treated at a Louisville hospital and, after being released, was arrested Wednesday and booked into the Warren County Regional Jail, according to WNKY. He faces charges that include vehicular homicide while under the influence of alcohol, first-degree assault, and first-degree wanton endangerment, along with an allegation of operating a motor vehicle under the influence, a second offense. Per Bowling Green Daily News, Wilson was being held on a $250,000 cash bond.
Investigation
Deputies at the scene suspected alcohol was a contributing factor, and investigators say the crash remains under active review. The Warren County Sheriff’s Office conducted a reconstruction of the crash site on June 3 that briefly closed lanes on Girkin Road as deputies documented the scene, according to WBKO. Officials said the reconstruction is part of their continuing effort to determine how the single-vehicle wreck unfolded.
Legal note
Under Kentucky law, operating a vehicle while under the influence is governed by KRS 189A.010, and penalties increase when aggravating circumstances, such as causing death, are present. Those statutes set mandatory minimums and enhanced sentences in cases involving fatalities, according to state code summaries at FindLaw. Prosecutors will consider the investigation’s findings, including toxicology and crash reconstruction results, when deciding on formal charges.
The case remains under investigation, and prosecutors have not announced an arraignment date. Per Bowling Green Daily News, investigators continue to gather evidence before court filings are finalized.
