GRAVES COUNTY — Three young adults are dead after a 68-year-old woman mistakenly ramped onto the southbound lanes of Interstate 69, traveling northbound in the southbound lanes, resulting in a head-on collision on Saturday, Mar. 2.

The Kentucky State Police Post 1 received several reports of a vehicle traveling northbound in the southbound lanes I-69 between US 45 and KY 131 at approximately 7:45 p.m.

As Graves County Deputies responded to the area, they received multiple calls of a two-vehicle, head-on collision between mile markers 26 and 27.

According to the Graves County Sheriff’s Office, they determined that Shirley Ballard, 68, of Mayfield, was operating a Chevrolet Trax when she mistakenly ramped onto the southbound lanes of I-69 from US 45, traveling northbound in the southbound lanes.

Ballard’s northbound vehicle collided with a Toyota Corolla, traveling southbound between the Hopewell Road overpass and KY 131.

The driver of the Toyota Corolla was 21-year-old Colten Blankenship of Vienna, Illinois. The Graves County Coroner’s Office pronounced Blankenship deceased at the scene.

Blankenship had two passengers in his vehicle, including 18-year-old Alexander McLean of Eddyville, Kentucky, and 22-year-old Daniel Guasp from Nortonville, Kentucky. Emergency management services and Lifeflight transported both passengers from the scene.

According to the Graves County Sheriff’s Office, McLean was pronounced deceased at Jackson Purchase Medical Center. Guasp was transported to Vanderbilt Medical Center, where he was pronounced deceased at their facility.

EMS transported Ballard to a Memphis area hospital by Air Evac and is listed in critical condition.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of all of those involved in this tragedy,” said Graves County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Jeremy K. Prince in his press release.