Man convicted of murder in crash that killed 7-year-old KY girl
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Jury convicted Hammack on several counts; life recommended for murder, first-degree assault.
- Dec. 21, 2024 crash in Adair County killed a 7-year-old; three others injured.
- Hammack refused sobriety and blood tests; police got a warrant for a blood draw.
A Tennessee man was convicted Wednesday of several charges, including murder, in a 2024 fatal crash that left a 7-year-old girl dead in Kentucky.
Joel Hammack, 47, of Crossville Tenn., was convicted of murder, two counts of first-degree assault, two counts of fourth-degree assault and possession of marijuana. He was found not guilty of DUI.
A jury recommended a sentence of life in prison. He will be sentenced in March.
“This case demonstrates the tragic consequences of impaired driving.” 29th Judicial Circuit Commonwealth Attorney Brian Wright said in a news release. “Prosecuting these cases is about honoring the lives lost, standing with the families left behind, and making clear that there will be accountability for these types of poor decisions.”
The crash happened Dec. 21, 2024, on the Columbia Bypass in Adair County. State police said Hammack was speeding in a Ford F-150 while under the influence and rear-ended a Kia Sorento.
The collision sent the Sorento off the roadway, where it overturned.
There were four people in the Sorento, including three children. Rose Morgan, 7, died at the scene. Her obituary says she was a 2nd grade student at Adair County Primary Center
A 66-year-old passenger and another child were taken to a hospital with serious injuries, state police previously said. The driver and a third child were taken to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries.
Hammack was asked to perform field sobriety tests at the scene but refused. Court documents say an officer saw three open containers of Bud Light in Hammack’s truck, and he was arrested.
Hammack was taken to a hospital for a blood draw. At the hospital, Hammack acted belligerent and irritated and asked what city and county he was in several times, court documents say.
Hammack also refused to take a blood test, but investigators proceeded with the test after getting a search warrant signed by a judge, according to court documents.
A passenger in Hammack’s truck, Walter Nichols, 45, of Bean Station, Tenn., was charged with third-degree assault (EMS, fire, rescue squad), fourth-degree assault, third-degree terroristic threatening, disorderly conduct and public intoxication. Court documents say he was under the influence of alcohol and acted disorderly with officials, including kicking the fire chief.
Nichols accepted a guilty plea deal in June 2025. The deal amended one of his third-degree assault charges to third-degree assault (police/probation officer) and found him guilty of the other counts, according to court records.
Nichols is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 10, according to court records.
