2 dead, 1 in the hospital, 1 charged after Mason County crash

MAYSVILLE, Ky. ( FOX 56 ) — Two people are dead, one is in a Cincinnati hospital, and one person has been charged following a crash that involved multiple vehicles in Mason County on Saturday night.

According to the Kentucky State Police Department (KSP), troopers with Post 8 in Morehead were dispatched around 8:30 p.m. on Saturday to Highway 9 near the intersection of Slack Pike Road in response to a request from Mason County Dispatch for help with a deadly crash involving multiple vehicles.

Law enforcement said that William Lee Johnny Darnell, 38, from McKinney, Texas, was driving west in a silver Nissan Xterra when he allegedly hit the rear of a Hyundai Sonata driven by Joshua Mark Wells, 39, of Germantown, who was driving with a passenger, Latasha Kay Wells, 44, also of Germantown. This crash reportedly caused Wells to enter the eastbound lane into the path of a Chevrolet Malibu driven by Marlena Arthur, 31, of Germantown.

Joshua and Latasha were both pronounced dead at the scene of the crash by the Mason County Coroner's Office, per a news release.

Emergency personnel flew Arthur to the University of Cincinnati Hospital where she remains in the hospital and is listed in stable condition, KSP said.

Troopers reportedly arrested Darnell and charged him with:

Vehicular homicide while under the influence of alcohol

Driving under the influence of alcohol – aggravated circumstances

First-degree assault

First-degree wanton endangerment

Possession of marijuana

Driving without a license

Failure to produce an insurance card

No registration receipt

No registration plates

Darnell was lodged in the Mason County Detention Center.

An investigation into the crash remains ongoing.