Christian County Coroner Scott Daniel says a fatal crash on West 7th Street Thursday night claimed the lives of a Hopkinsville man and a Cadiz man.
Daniel identified the victims as 33-year-old Benjamin Papajeski of Cadiz and 30-year-old Ethan Pace of Hopkinsville. He said both died due to injuries sustained when they were ejected from the pickup truck involved in the wreck.
Hopkinsville Police say a westbound truck ran off the road and into a ditch before hitting a utility pole and ejecting all three people in the vehicle. 31-year-old Steven Donovan of Cadiz was injured was taken by ambulance to a waiting helicopter at Jennie Stuart Medical Center then flown to Skyline Medical Center, in Nashville, where he remains in stable condition. The police report does not specify who was driving the vehicle at the time of the crash.
The crash happened near the intersection of Westwood Drive just after 11 pm. Police say alcohol and speed are factors in the crash. The report indicates the truck was traveling between 70 and 80 miles per hour at the time of the crash.
West 7th Street was closed until early Friday morning to allow police to investigate the crash.
