A man and woman were rushed to UofL Hospital late Friday after the car they were riding in slammed into an unoccupied vehicle sitting on southbound Interstate 265 near the Shelbyville Road exit ramp, with the man suffering life-threatening injuries. The driver and passengers of that disabled vehicle had already left the scene before the crash happened, and Louisville police say they don't expect to file any criminal charges.
According to The Courier-Journal, officers responded to a report of a disabled vehicle on southbound I-265 near the Shelbyville Road exit ramp the evening of Aug. 28. LMPD spokesperson Chris Baker told the paper that two people were injured after a vehicle carrying a man and a woman crashed into that unoccupied car. Additional calls soon came in reporting that a second vehicle had also struck the same disabled car, Baker said.
The man and woman inside the striking vehicle were both taken to UofL Hospital for treatment. The man suffered life-threatening injuries, while the woman's injuries were not life-threatening. The driver and passengers of the disabled vehicle, meanwhile, escaped injury entirely since they had already left before either collision occurred.
Why the Highway Stayed Shut for Hours
The Louisville Metro Police Department Traffic Unit is handling the investigation, and Baker said the agency has given no estimated timeline for wrapping it up. Southbound I-265 was closed to traffic until LMPD finished working the scene, according to the same report. Louisville Fire, Louisville Metro EMS, and LMPD all responded to the crash.
Real-time monitoring from TRIMARC showed the impact rippling outward fast: the crash near Mile Marker 26.5 first blocked four right lanes and the right shoulder before all southbound lanes were blocked while investigators worked the scene.
What Kentucky Law Says About Stalled Cars
The circumstances raise questions that remain unresolved — why the disabled vehicle was left in or near active travel lanes, whether its hazard lights were on, and how long it sat there before it was struck are all still unknown. Kentucky expanded its Move Over law in July 2024 to require drivers to change lanes or slow down when approaching any disabled vehicle showing hazard lights, flares, or warning signs, according to Kentucky State Police. The original 2003 version of the law applied only to emergency vehicles, tow trucks, and highway maintenance crews.
Separately, state administrative regulations address vehicles left on state rights-of-way as abandoned vehicles, per Law.Cornell.Edu. The cited regulation describes procedures for abandoned vehicles.
A Busy, High-Speed Corridor Under Construction
The eastern stretch of I-265, known as the Gene Snyder Freeway, runs through Jefferson County, making its widening Kentucky's highest-priority highway project, according to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Traffic demand along that stretch is projected to climb as high as 162,500 vehicles daily by 2045. A disabled vehicle near an exit ramp or on a narrow shoulder can leave trailing drivers little time to react.
The crash also comes as the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet works on an I-265 project to update exit numbers and signage, as reported by WHAS11. Nearby, the interchange connecting I-265 and I-64 is another transportation feature in the area.
The crash victims were treated at UofL Hospital. LMPD's Traffic Unit is investigating the crash.
This marks at least the second I-265 injury crash tied to a vehicle near an emergency shoulder in as many days — Hoodline previously reported on a bus driver's illegal I-265 U-turn that injured two volleyball players on the same interstate. The crash adds to concerns about highway safety in Louisville.
