Motorcyclist killed in fiery Lexington crash with tractor-trailer

A 36-year-old motorcyclist died Monday after driving into the path of a tractor-trailer on Georgetown Road, according to the Fayette County coroner.

The resulting fire heavily damaged the truck, which had hauled windshields to the Toyota plant in Georgetown.

The crash happened around 11:45 a.m. Monday at Georgetown Road and Ironworks Pike on Lexington’s north side.

The driver of the tractor-trailer was traveling inbound on Georgetown Road and the motorcyclist was traveling outbound when the motorcyclist veered into the inbound lane, said Fayette County Coroner Gary Ginn.

The driver of the tractor-trailer tried to avoid the motorcyclist and was almost at a stop when he struck the motorcyclist, Ginn said.

The collision erupted in flames. “What we we believe happened is the motorcycle’s fuel tank was probably broken open and burst into flames,” Ginn said.

The cyclist, 36-year-old Benjamin Murphy was thrown into a ditch, Ginn said. He died at the scene from multiple blunt force injuries, Ginn said.

“Why this happened, the tractor-trailer driver says he doesn’t know,” Ginn said.

Ginn said there was not much left of the tractor-trailer. “It was a very hot burn,” Ginn said: “The tires have burned off so everything is down on the roadway,” he said.

The truck driver was shaken by the crash but was not taken to a hospital.

Georgetown Road between Ironworks Pike and Spurr Road was closed for several hours.

An LEX 18 viewer submitted a photo to the station, showing the fiery result from the crash.

Video from WKYT shows heavy smoke at the scene after first responders arrived.

In a separate collision on the same road in August, two people died when a tractor-trailer detached onto two cars traveling inbound on Georgetown Road.

This story was originally published October 29, 2018 at 12:26 PM.