Fatal Wrong-Way Collision Reported on I-65 in Warren County
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — A tragic collision in Warren County claimed one life and left another person seriously injured on Saturday evening, August 30, 2025.
According to the Kentucky State Police (KSP), troopers were dispatched just before 5:00 p.m. to a report of a serious crash near the 15-mile marker of Interstate 65 northbound. When first responders arrived, they found two vehicles had been involved in a violent head-on collision, with one of the vehicles engulfed in flames.
Preliminary investigations indicate that 80-year-old Garland Johnson, of McDonough, Georgia, had been traveling the wrong way in the northbound lanes. Johnson was behind the wheel of a 1988 Cadillac Eldorado, heading south against traffic when his vehicle collided with a 2017 Jaguar SUV being driven northbound by 36-year-old Mesa Reinier, of Hialeah, Florida.
The impact of the crash caused significant damage to both vehicles. The Warren County Fire Department System reported that at least one vehicle caught fire on impact. Multiple fire units from Alvaton, Plano, and Bowling Green responded to assist in extinguishing the blaze and securing the scene.
Despite the efforts of emergency personnel, Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene by the Warren County Coroner’s Office. Reinier, who sustained serious injuries in the crash, was airlifted to TriStar Skyline Medical Center in Nashville for emergency treatment. Her current condition has not been released.
The incident caused significant delays for motorists on Interstate 65 as crews worked to clear debris and conduct their investigation. Traffic in the area was rerouted for several hours before the roadway was fully reopened.
Authorities say the crash remains under investigation by KSP, and no further details have been released at this time.