A Russell Springs man had to be cut from his vehicle and airlifted for treatment after a passing truck slammed into his driver's side Sunday afternoon at a U.S. 127 intersection. J.L. Stargle was stopped in the northbound lane, waiting to turn left onto West Kentucky 76, when Jose' Carmona's northbound Ford F-250 struck him T-bone style while attempting to pass vehicles in the southbound lane.
According to a report by Deputy Heath Tarter relayed by Laker Country 104.9 FM WJRS, the collision happened around 1:22 p.m. Sunday at the intersection of U.S. 127 North, Jericho Road, and West Kentucky 76. Stargle, who was driving a Chevrolet S-10, was extricated from his vehicle by Russell Springs firefighters and EMS, according to ridingthewave.com. He was taken to Russell County Hospital before being airlifted for further treatment.
Stargle's passenger, Diane Radford, sustained minor injuries and was treated at the scene, per ridingthewave.com's reporting. The station's report adds that Radford declined further hospital transport after receiving on-scene treatment from Russell County EMS. Carmona, a Nicholasville resident, and his passenger, 38-year-old Cameron Kennedy of Lexington, were uninjured in the crash.
A Familiar Danger Zone Along the Corridor
Sunday's wreck is the latest in a string of serious collisions along U.S. 127 in Russell County this year. On August 26, three people were transported to Russell County Hospital after a two-vehicle rear-end collision at U.S. 127 and Voils Road in Russell Springs, the same outlet reported, noting that local residents have publicly pushed for traffic signals or roundabouts along the corridor.
Two months earlier, on June 21, two people were airlifted to the University of Kentucky Medical Center following a two-vehicle collision at U.S. 127 North and Damron Creek Road. Russell Springs Fire and Russell County EMS also responded to a collision at that intersection. Other details about collisions along the corridor are not established by the reports cited here.
Passing Maneuvers in Sunday's Crash
The circumstances of Sunday's crash remain under investigation by the Russell County Sheriff's Office, including any fault determinations or formal citations.
The corridor remains a focus of safety concerns.
State Investment Underway, But Slow to Reach the Danger Spots
State officials are not standing still on the corridor's safety problems. In October 2025, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's District 8 hosted a public informational meeting to present proposed intersection safety improvement concepts along U.S. 127 between the Jamestown Bypass and KY 619, including evaluating roundabout installations in Russell Springs under project item 8-156.00.
State officials are not standing still on the corridor's safety problems. In October 2025, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's District 8 hosted a public informational meeting to present proposed intersection safety improvement concepts along U.S. 127 between the Jamestown Bypass and KY 619, including evaluating roundabout installations in Russell Springs under project item 8-156.00. Separately, construction was progressing on a $105 million U.S. 127 realignment project spanning a six-mile corridor between Russell and Clinton counties, featuring five new bridges intended to improve safety and traffic flow between the Cumberland River in Russell County and KY 3063 in Clinton County. In Stargle's case, he was taken from Russell County Hospital by air medical transport for further treatment.
That hospital, where Stargle was initially taken before his flight, is mentioned in reports of the crash.
