Louisville police said the tractor-trailer missed a curve, crossed between ramps and struck a rock wall head-on early Thursday.
LOUISVILLE, KY — Two men were killed early Thursday when a FedEx tractor-trailer left an Interstate 65 exit ramp, crossed onto another ramp and crashed head-on into a rock wall, according to Louisville Metro Police.
Officers responded shortly after 5 a.m. Aug. 6 to the interchange connecting I-65 and Interstate 264, also known as the Watterson Expressway. Police said the single-vehicle crash involved a FedEx tractor-trailer and forced authorities to close ramps in the heavily traveled interchange while investigators examined the scene and crews worked to remove the wreckage.
A preliminary investigation found that the tractor-trailer was traveling on the northbound I-65 ramp toward I-264 East when it failed to negotiate a curve, police said. The truck left the left shoulder, crossed into the southbound I-65 ramp leading to I-264 East and struck the rock wall head-on.
The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. Police initially said emergency crews were examining the wreckage to determine whether another person was inside the cab. Authorities later confirmed that a second man was in the tractor-trailer and also was pronounced dead at the scene.
The names of the two men were not included in the initial information released by authorities. Police also had not announced what caused the tractor-trailer to leave the ramp beyond saying that it failed to negotiate the curve. No determination about speed, mechanical problems or other possible contributing factors was included in the initial police account.
The Louisville Metro Police Department’s Traffic Unit took over the investigation. Police said after the crash that the affected ramps were expected to remain closed for several hours as investigators documented the scene and crews cleared the damaged tractor-trailer.
FedEx expressed condolences to the families and loved ones of those who died and said the company was cooperating with law enforcement. The company referred further questions about the investigation to police.
The crash occurred at a major Louisville interchange where I-65 connects with I-264. The collision affected ramps in both directions and disrupted traffic through the area while police conducted their investigation and the wreckage was removed.
Police have described their findings as preliminary, and the Traffic Unit continues to investigate the circumstances that led to the crash. Authorities had not announced a final cause in the information released after the collision.
Author note: Last updated August 10, 2026.