Johnson County Woman Dies in Fatal Crash in Pike County

By Lilly Adkins

BSN Associate Editor

PIKEVILLE — After a son reported his mother missing early Sunday morning the Johnson County woman, Vanessa Crum, 52, of Van Lear, died in a single vehicle crash March 17.

Kentucky State Police at the Pikeville Post said in a release that they received a call of a missing person at 2:37 p.m. Crum’s family became concerned when she did not report to work and a trooper from Post 9 contacted the family then began the investigation.

Son, Josh Loredo, posted on social media early Sunday morning requesting anyone with information of his mother’s whereabouts to contact him.

“She is an Air Force Veteran and I know she is out there somewhere. Please help me find her.” Loredo posted. “She would have been driving from Rt. 3 near Big Sandy Regional Airport to Pikeville Medical Center at around 5-6 a.m. for work.”

As of 9:30 p.m. KSP and Pikeville PD had access and were trying to track her vehicle through NissanConnect, after family members were able to log in.

The KSP pinged Crum’s cell phone at 6:48 a.m. enabling investigators to obtain a potential location, the release said. The Pikeville Police Department was also notified and began to assist with the investigation. An officer with the Pikeville Police Department located Crum’s vehicle, the release said.

The initial investigation indicated that Crum was operating a 2023 Nissan Rogue on US 23, when her vehicle exited the roadway, went over an embankment and became submerged into the Levisa Fork River, the release said.

Crum was pronounced deceased on scene by the Pike County Coroner’s Office.

Detective Mahala Lewis is investigating and was assisted on scene by Kentucky State Police Post 9 personnel, Pikeville Police Department, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife and Pike County Emergency Management.