FRANKFORT, KENTUCKY — A tractor-trailer was struck on Interstate 64 Saturday morning when a fleeing vehicle crossed the median during a high-speed police chase, triggering a deadly crash that shut down the interstate for hours, Kentucky State Police said.

KSP said troopers were pursuing a car believed to be connected to an ongoing investigation in Dalton, Georgia, when the driver fled onto I-75 at speeds over 100 miles per hour and then continued onto I-64 into Franklin County. Troopers said they attempted multiple times to stop the vehicle using tire deflation devices, but the driver kept going.

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Police said the suspect vehicle lost control near the 50 mile marker, crossed the median, and collided with a tractor-trailer traveling in the eastbound lanes. The driver of the fleeing car was pronounced dead at the scene by the Franklin County Coroner, while the semi-truck driver was not injured, KSP said. Both directions of I-64 were shut down as crews cleared debris and investigators worked the scene, with lanes cleared later in the afternoon.

Investigators tied the chase to a Dalton, Georgia case where firefighters responded at 5:47 a.m. to a house fire at 313 South Grimes Street and found a badly burned woman’s body inside. Police said the victim’s vehicle was missing and later located in Kentucky, sparking the pursuit. The victim’s identity has not been released pending confirmation and next-of-kin notification.

UPDATE: The Franklin County Coroner’s Office identified the person killed in the crash as Ryan M. Ebler, 30, of Martinsville, Indiana.

The KSP Critical Incident Response Team is investigating the crash, while Georgia agencies continue investigating the Dalton fire and death.

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