Five died as a result of cold weather in Kentucky this week, governor says
Five people have died in Kentucky this week as a result of the cold weather, Gov. Andy Beshear said in a news release Friday.
He urged people to use caution as the latest round of frigid temperatures moves in this weekend.
Among those who died was a 60-year-old man in Lexington who was found Tuesday afternoon by a railroad engineer near the R.J. Corman Railroad property along Newtown Pike.
Beshear said other deaths connected to the cold included a 61-year-old man in Woodford County, a 58-year-old woman in Daviess County, a 44-year-old woman in Floyd County and a 78-year-old man in Oldham County.
Woodford County Coroner Penny Baker declined to release more information Friday night about the circumstances of the man who died there, saying it was still under investigation.
Daviess County Coroner Jeffrey Jones said the woman who died Wednesday in Owensboro had been living out of her vehicle and was found on Sycamore Street.
The man who died in Oldham County, Richard Spencer, was found in his backyard Tuesday after suffering “a cardiac event” while out feeding the birds, said Oldham County Coroner David Pendleton.
“We don’t know for sure if the cold could have contributed to that or not,” Pendleton said in a telephone interview.
Kentucky State Police said in a news release Thursday that carbon monoxide exposure was suspected in the death of Kara Hanks, 44, of Melbourne, Sunday in Floyd County.
Floyd County Coroner Greg Nelson said in an interview Friday night that he did not believe the death was weather-related.
He said Hanks was brought to the emergency room at Our Lady of the Way Hospital. Her body was sent to Frankfort for an autopsy because of her age and lack of medical history, Nelson said, but a cause of death has not been determined.
Nelson said Hanks had been on a church retreat in the Langley community.
State police said she was one of two females taken to a hospital for treatment, and foul play was not suspected.
“Britainy and I are praying for our Kentucky families who have lost their loved ones,” Beshear said in the release. “Everyone, please take time today to check on your family, friends and co-workers and make sure they have what they need to stay safe and warm.”
Temperatures were expected to drop into the single digits Friday night and Saturday morning, with wind chills below zero, according to the National Weather Service in Louisville. Lows Sunday morning were expected between zero and minus 8 degrees. Highs were expected to reach only into the teens Saturday afternoon and 20s Sunday before warming up next week.
This story was originally published January 19, 2024 at 7:53 PM.
