LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Jessica Ashby feared the worst when her calls to her parents went unanswered on their drive home to Bowling Green in December.
"I had that gut-wrenching feeling that something wasn't right," she said as tears welled in her eyes.
It wasn't long before Ashby's fears were confirmed. Her parents, Todd and Leslie Parson, were the victims of a four-car crash on the Bluegrass Parkway in Hardin County.
Just after 5 p.m. on Dec. 7, investigators say a vehicle traveling eastbound lost control, left the roadway, crossed the median and went airborne before striking the Parsons’ car head-on. Leslie and Todd Parson and another person, Shirley Fuqua, were killed.
"There's no way they could have survived that," Ashby said.
The tragedy renewed the push for safety improvements on the Bluegrass Parkway, particularly the installation of cable barriers to prevent vehicles from crossing into oncoming traffic.
Ashby, with the help of other family members like her aunt, Kim Parson, has started a change.org petition calling on the state to install the barriers.
"No child should ever lose both of their parents, especially in a manner like that, at the same time," said Parson, who is Todd's sister. "I mean, it's unbelievable."
The petition has already garnered nearly 1,000 signatures.
"We are calling upon the Kentucky Department of Transportation to take swift action and ensure that protective barriers are installed on this perilous stretch of highway," the narrative on the petition reads. "The safety and well-being of Hardin County residents and all who travel this route must be prioritized."
Three deadly crossover crashes on the Bluegrass Parkway in Hardin County since the start of 2020 have claimed the lives of five people, according to state data.
There have also been 18 injury crashes in that time frame.
Federal Highway Administration studies show decrease in crossover traffic fatalities at 90% where cable barriers are in place.
"90% is staggering," Ashby said. "I don't understand why we haven't already done this."
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet cited the 1960s design of the Bluegrass Parkway.
"No cable barriers are currently installed between Elizabethtown and Versailles," a statement to WDRB read. "The Bluegrass Parkway’s 1960s design makes installing them difficult without major reconstruction. KYTC continues to explore safety improvement options for the parkway, including cable barriers, when crash data identifies a specific concern."
KYTC said the state is aware of the petition, but noted the decision to install cable median barriers "would be based on factors like type of highway facility, traffic volume, vehicle types, and other considerations that are unique to the parkway. Engineers focus on road-specific conditions when considering safety upgrades."
A spokesperson with KYTC noted that Kentucky saw a decline in highway fatalities in 2024 from 2023, with 707 highway fatalities -- the lowest in the last 10 years.
"We continue to stay vigilant to continue this progress through regular crash report reviews by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to assess contributing factors and identify possible roadway improvements," the statement continued.
"Spend the money," Ashby said her message would be to legislators and state leaders. "Spend the money."
"And look at the data because the data is there to make the case that these are necessary," her aunt, Kim Parson, added.
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