‘Lower the speed limit’: Dump truck slams into SUV and crashes into restaurant, killing 2

WALTON, Ky. (WXIX/Gray News) - Two women were killed in a crash with a dump truck loaded with gravel Tuesday evening.

According to the Boone County Sheriff’s Office, the crash involved the truck and an SUV at the intersection of U.S. 42 and Beaver Road.

Authorities said it appears the driver of the SUV went in front of the truck, and the dump truck driver tried to avoid a collision but could not.

The Bedrock Trucking dump truck ended up slamming into the SUV, with the force of the crash sending the truck off the road.

The truck struck four parked vehicles in a nearby restaurant parking lot and then crashed into the building.

The sheriff’s office said two women, identified as Eva Mulberry, 91 and Betty Hillard, 89, traveling in the SUV died at the scene with the 66-year-old driver being sent to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

The dump truck driver was also taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

No one inside the restaurant was hurt.

Speed and alcohol/drug impairment factors are not believed to be factors but will still be investigated, sheriff’s officials said.

All drivers and passengers wore seat belts.

Authorities said contributing factors in the crash include limited visibility at the intersection due to the landscape of the roadway.

No charges have been filed, and both drivers, who were not immediately identified, are cooperating with the investigation.

One of the restaurant’s owners, Leslie Lovelace, said this is not the first crash at the intersection and it’s something that has been a problem for several years.

She said she hopes a change is made now in light of this latest crash to prevent another tragedy.

“Either put some kind of a stop right there, lower the speed limit, put some kind of caution ... something needs to go there because this will happen again,” Lovelace said.

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