ERLANGER, Kentucky — One person is dead after an early morning crash involving a pedestrian and a semi on Interstate 71/Interstate 75 in Northern Kentucky.
On Monday morning, around 3 a.m., all southbound lanes were closed on I-71/I-75 for multiple hours after a crash involving a pedestrian, according to our news partners, WCPO.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
TRENDING STORIES:
- District scraps cost-saving plan that would have increased fee to play sports
- 1 hospitalized after car slams into garage
- Body found in framework of Ohio bridge during inspection
Erlanger Police said the person was pronounced dead at the scene.
Erlanger Assistant Police Chief Michael Clark said they are unsure as to why the person was walking on the highway at that hour.
“There’s just so many unanswered questions right now that we’re trying to dig through,” said Clark.
He said the highway was shut down for the safety of drivers and to allow law enforcement to collect evidence from the road.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet directed drivers to take a detour into Ohio by taking I-471 to I-275 westbound.
Kisha Hill, one of the drivers who took the detour, said her normal 17-minute commute turned into an hour.
“It was a mess...it was bumper to bumper on there,” said Hill.
There were times when the drivers waited for traffic to clear, she said.
Hill said she is sending prayers to the victim’s family, given how close the incident hits close to home for her.
“My cousin was hit on the expressway two years ago,” said Hill.
Her cousin, Reco Williams, was struck by a car and killed on I-75 while examining a disabled vehicle in 2024, according to Cincinnati Police.
The highway remained closed until around 11 a.m. on Monday.
[SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2026 Cox Media Group
