Duke Weddle, London, KY: Sharp curve rollover kills three teens as lone survivor fights for life.

A dangerous curve on Somerset Road turned fatal late Saturday night when a 2021 silver Mercedes carrying four young men ran off the asphalt. The single-vehicle crash happened around 11:10 p.m. near the western limits of London, Kentucky. Three teenagers died at the scene, while a fourth passenger was flown to a regional trauma center in critical condition.

Laurel County Sheriff’s deputies called to the scene on KY 1956 found the luxury sedan overturned off the side of the road. Investigators noted that the vehicle was traveling eastbound when it entered a sharp right-hand curve. The car failed to navigate the turn, left the roadway, and flipped onto its roof.

Eighteen-year-old Duke Weddle and 18-year-old Elijah Hammons, both from London, died from their injuries in the crash. Seventeen-year-old Landon Mullins, a resident of nearby Mount Vernon, was also pronounced dead at the scene by Laurel County emergency responders.

First responders pulled 20-year-old Joseph Cope of Lexington from the wrecked sedan. Emergency medical personnel stabilized him at the site before a helicopter transported him to the University of Kentucky Hospital in Lexington, where he remains under intensive care.

Accident reconstruction specialists spent hours under spotlights inspecting the stretch of pavement where the vehicle went off course. Deputies measured tire marks, logged road conditions, and checked the Mercedes for mechanical failure. Authorities have not yet stated if speed was a primary factor in the wreck.

Somerset Road is a heavily traveled rural corridor in Laurel County, but local drivers know its sharp curves require caution after dark. Sheriff’s deputies are asking anyone who was driving on KY 1956 late Saturday night or saw the silver Mercedes before the crash to contact investigators.

While deputies work to complete their technical investigation, community members in London and Mount Vernon are organizing support for the grieving families. Friends continue to hold vigil at UK Hospital, waiting for updates on Joseph Cope’s condition.