Crime

Kentucky deputy airlifted to hospital after collision. Driver charged.

A Warren County sheriff’s deputy was in stable condition following a crash involving a man accused of drunken driving, Kentucky State Police said.

Deputy Phillip Gaines had just completed a call for service and was on Upper Stone Avenue in Bowling Green when 34-year-old Derek Cordell allegedly crossed over the median and hit the front driver’s side of Gaines’ patrol car, according to state police. The crash happened about 11:30 p.m., Trooper Daniel Priddy said.

Gaines was flown to Vanderbilt Hospital where he is now in stable condition.

Cordell, a Bowling Green resident, was transported to the Medical Center at Bowling Green, treated and released. He was charged with 1st-degree assault, 1st-degree wanton endangerment, driving under the influence and 1st-degree criminal mischief Thursday. H

He’s currently being held on a $25,000 cash bond in the Warren County Regional Jail, according to the jail’s database.

Kentucky State Police Trooper Bartley Weaver is investigating.

Jeremy Chisenhall
Lexington Herald-Leader
Jeremy Chisenhall covers criminal justice and breaking news for the Lexington Herald-Leader and Kentucky.com. He joined the paper in 2020, and is originally from Erlanger, Ky.
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