MUNFORDVILLE — Jennifer Lawson doesn’t remember much about the March 19 wreck that took the life of her mother and twin sister.

“I just remember the truck coming at us and then it was all a blur until the hospital,” said the 22-year-old.

The Lawsons were traveling southbound on Interstate 65 from Elizabethtown to Bowling Green when their van was struck head-on by a northbound pickup truck driven by David McGrath, of Auburn.

According to Kentucky State Police reports, McGrath’s truck hydroplaned on the wet road, crossed the median and hit the Lawsons’ van head-on. A tractor-trailer driven by Michael Giles, of Philadelphia, Miss., then hit the passenger side of the McGrath truck. Killed in the wreck were Myra Lawson, Cassandra Lawson, David McGrath, Madeline McGrath and Megan McGrath.

Jennifer Lawson, along with her father, Dave; her fiance, Sam; her sister, Jolene and other family members turned out Wednesday for a press conference during which Gov. Steve Beshear announced a $10.8 million project that involves the addition of 33.9 miles of median cable barriers along I-65 in Bullitt, Hardin, Hart and Barren counties and 10.2 miles along the Gene Snyder Freeway in Louisville.

Jennifer Lawson was relieved to hear the news.

“That’s going to make the travel down here a lot less nerve-wracking,” she said.

Wednesday was the first time she had traveled the same stretch of highway where the wreck occurred.

“I haven’t made it down this way since,” she said.

Dave Lawson gripped the hands of his two surviving daughters when the governor made the announcement.

Traveling down I-65 Wednesday for the press conference, he said, was “scary as hell.”

The family has been advocating for the installation of median cable barriers since the wreck occurred. Dave Lawson launched a Web site, www.barriersnow.com, on which he and other family members talked about their loss and the need to get median cable barriers installed along Kentucky highways.

Having the Web site, he said, has “helped get the word out.”

He was also relieved to hear the governor’s news on Wednesday, but said he was “anticipatory” about seeing the median cable barriers installed.

“I want to see it actually happen,” he said.

According to Kentucky Transportation Cabinet officials, work to install the median cable barriers will begin in a couple of weeks.

Kentucky began installing median cable barriers two years ago along Interstates 64, 71 and 265 in Jefferson County. Last summer, median cable barriers were installed along New Circle Road in Fayette County. The state now has 52.1 miles of median cable barriers on those highways as a means of stopping motorists from crossing over into oncoming traffic.

“The results have been startling,” Beshear said. “Already, cable barriers in those two counties have been hit some 385 times. Based on an analysis of speed and angles, it is estimated that they’ve prevented some 299 vehicles from crossing over into oncoming traffic.”

When Beshear took office in December 2007, he asked Transportation Secretary Joe Prather and his staff to identify areas along Kentucky highways where median cable barriers would make a “significant and immediate difference.”

The stretch of highway along I-65 in Hart County that took the lives of the Lawson and McGrath families was one such area identified.

Beshear told the Lawson family during the press conference that he wanted them to know “that our thoughts and prayers are still with you and your family and we also want you to know how thankful we are that you all have been strong advocates for highway safety and I think they deserve a big round of applause for everything that they have done.”

“Obviously, what we’re doing here today can never bring back your loved ones, but hopefully it will prevent similar kinds of tragedies for other families,” Beshear said. “That crash reminds us of why we are here today. I’m convinced this project will save lives and prevent injuries.”

The $10.8 million project is only the first step in making Kentucky’s highways safer, he said.

“As additional money becomes available we will continue to address other priority areas,” Beshear said.

Daily Times staff writer Brad Dickerson and the Associated Press contributed to this story.



Barrier Information

According to a press release issued by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, future median cable barrier projects scheduled are: 7.8 miles along I-65 in Hardin County from mile point 80.5 and 88.3 (Sonora, Glendale area); 9.4 miles along I-65 in Hardin County from mile point 91.1 to 100.5 (includes Muldraugh Hill); 10.2 miles along I-65 in Jefferson County from mile point 0 to 10.2 (Gene Snyder Freeway from I-65 to Dixie Highway); 10.5 miles along I-65 in Hart and Barren counties from mile point 52.4 to 62.9 (Horse Cave area); and 6.2 miles along I-65 in Bullitt County from mile point 109.4 to 115.6 (from Ky. 480 to Jefferson County line).