Joseph Prater Obituary, Death; DCSO Identifies Victim in Deadly KY 144 Crash.
Joseph Prater Obituary, Death – Authorities have released the identity of the man killed in a deadly crash that occurred early Wednesday morning on KY 144 in Daviess County. According to the Daviess County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO), the victim was 31-year-old Joseph Prater of Reynolds Station. He was pronounced dead at the scene after a two-vehicle collision that left another driver critically injured.
The crash happened around 5:30 a.m. in the 8500 block of KY 144, near the intersection of Botelor Road in the Ensor community. Emergency responders from multiple agencies, including the DCSO, the Daviess County Fire Department, the Knottsville Fire Department, and AMR Ambulance Service, were dispatched to the site following reports of the serious accident.
Preliminary findings from investigators revealed that the collision was a head-on crash between a pickup truck and an SUV. Prater, driving westbound in the pickup truck, was struck head-on by an eastbound SUV driven by 33-year-old Charles Mattingly of Owensboro. The impact of the collision proved fatal for Prater, while Mattingly sustained severe, life-threatening injuries.
Mattingly was airlifted from the scene to the University of Louisville Hospital to receive emergency treatment due to the extent of his injuries. Officials have not provided updates on his current condition. No additional vehicles or passengers were involved in the crash, and both men were the sole occupants of their respective vehicles.
The Daviess County Coroner’s Office responded to the crash site to carry out a death investigation, while the DCSO Accident Reconstruction Unit was tasked with examining the circumstances of the collision. Reconstruction experts will review details such as vehicle positioning, roadway conditions, and possible contributing factors to determine the exact cause of the crash. At this stage, authorities have not released further information on what might have led to the head-on collision.
Due to the severity of the incident, KY 144 was temporarily shut down as emergency crews worked to assist the victims and investigators collected evidence from the crash scene. A detour was set up at Pleasant Valley Road and Botelor Road to redirect traffic. The highway was closed for several hours and reopened around 8 a.m. once the area was cleared.
The deadly crash has left the community shaken, particularly in Reynolds Station, where Prater was from. His sudden passing underscores the dangers of head-on collisions, which are often among the most deadly types of roadway accidents due to the force of the impact. Local authorities are urging drivers to remain alert, follow traffic rules, and use caution when traveling along rural highways such as KY 144, especially during early morning hours when visibility may be limited.
The investigation into the wreck is ongoing, and the sheriff’s office is expected to release more details once the reconstruction is complete. For now, the focus remains on supporting Prater’s family as they cope with their loss and on monitoring Mattingly’s condition as he receives critical care.
