PAYNEVILLE (05/31/25) — One person was killed and two others were hurt following an accident Saturday night in Meade County. A Kentucky State Police preliminary investigation revealed that 20-year-old Robert Eldridge,was operating a 2014 Ford Mustang westbound on Kentucky 144 when he attempted to pass another vehicle and struck a 2025 Toyota Tacoma head-on in the eastbound lane. Eldridge was pronounced dead at the scene by the Meade County Coroner. The driver of the Toyota, 44-year-old John Kaw of Louisville and a passenger in Eldridge’s vehicle were flown to the University of Louisville Hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries. The affected portion of Payneville Road was closed for several hours to allow troopers to reconstruct the collision.
