UPDATE 9:50 a.m. Jan. 16: Joey Lee Bailey, the wrong-way driver who struck and killed a family of five in a crash on a Kentucky interstate, had a blood alcohol level of 0.306, according to a coroner's report. It is nearly four times the legal limit.
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WLEX reported that Bailey, 41, died in the accident. The Abbas family, whose vehicle he struck, also died when their vehicle caught fire.
Original report:
A Michigan family of five was killed in a wrong-way crash, possibly by a drunk driver, early Sunday morning on Interstate 75 in Kentucky.
The Abbas family was returning from a vacation in Florida when they encountered Joey Lee Bailey, 41, around 2:30 a.m. heading the wrong-way in his pickup truck in the northbound lanes of I-75 in Fayette County, according to WXYZ-TV.
Investigators said Bailey struck the family’s vehicle head-on, killing Issam Abbas, 42; Rima Abbas, 38; Ali Abbas, 14; Isabella Abbas, 13; and Giselle Abbas, 7. Bailey was also killed in the crash.
Rima Abbas was a doctor at Beaumont Medical Center in Garden City, WXYZ reported.
"We are devastated by the tragic loss of Dr. Rima Abbas, her beloved husband and children. She was a caring mother and a dedicated family practice physician. Our hearts go out to all of her family, friends and patients during this difficult time," Beaumont officials said in a statement.
Funeral services for the family were scheduled for Tuesday at the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn, Michigan, with a burial following at the Islamic Memorial Gardens in Westland.
Kentucky authorities are still piecing together exactly what happened and are asking for anyone with information to come forward. The news station reported investigators believe Bailey was operating a vehicle under the influence when the accident happened.
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