A multi-vehicle accident Monday afternoon has claimed the life of a Russell County Deputy Sheriff.

Shawn Cook, 39, of Jamestown, Kentucky, was operating a 1993 Nisson pickup truck in a north bound direction at the time of the accident, according to the Kentucky State Police.

The accident occurred when Cook attempted to pass a north bound vehicle in front of him, pulling into the path of a south bound 2014 Freightliner dump truck, striking the dump truck head-on.

The dump truck was operated by 37 year-old Nathan Kidder, of Jamestown, Tennessee.

According to the Kentucky State Police, a third vehicle became involved in the accident when the motor from Cook’s Nisson truck became dislodged and fell into the north bound lane and was struck by a north bound 2002 Chevrolet pickup truck, that was being operated by 46-year-old Darrell Slaven of Whitley City, Kentucky.

Clinton County Coroner Steve Talbott pronounced Cook dead at the scene.

Cook was off-duty at the time of the accident and was driving his personal vehicle at the time of the crash.

There were no other injuries reported, according to the Kentucky State Police, and an autopsy on Cook’s body was scheduled to have been performed Monday at the State Medical Examiner’s office.

The accident occurred just over four miles north of the Kentucky – Tennessee State line and just north of the overpass bridge on U.S. 127 and less than a mile south of the intersection with Ky. 738 (Wolf River Dock Road).

The collision also resulted in a fuel spill on the highway that was made even more difficult to contain due to heavy rains in the area at the time.

Clinton County Sheriff Jim Guffey said his department was among the first officers to arrive on the accident scene.

“We assisted with the Kentucky State Police. After we received the call of the accident, we were on the scene in about a minute,” Guffey said, noting that he had been in law enforcement for over 10 years. It was one of the worst wrecks I’ve worked.”

Guffey said his department officers assisted with the accident reconstruction details as well as helping to clean debris off of the road.

“The call came in a little after 1 p.m. and we were there until a little after 7 p.m.,” Guffey said.

Albany Fire Chief Robert Roeper told the Clinton County News that members of the fire department also arrived on the scene within minutes after the accident occurred Monday, and continued to work the accident scene until after 7:00 p.m. that same night.

In addition to assisting with traffic control and management of the involved vehicles, the fire department also immediately began work in attempting to control the runoff from the spilled fuel and oil.

The accident scene is in the vicinity of Smith Creek and Spring Creek.

Roeper said that the fire department members immediately began digging a ditch and placing absorbing pads in those ditches to catch the runoff of diesel fuel and motor oil and were successful in preventing the liquids from reaching either of the nearby streams.

“In one way, the rains made it worse – making it harder to contain at first, but in the later cleanups, the rains also prevented the oil and fuel from soaking into the pavement, which made it easier to clean up,” Roeper said.

He added that the accident scene was a horrific situation.

“It was one of those that you don’t ever want to have to work,” Roeper said.

Cook had been with the Russell County Sheriff’s Department for several years, and according to the department’s web page, served as the department’s transportation deputy and court security.

He was also a long-time member of the Russell Springs Fire Department.

Russell County Sheriff Lee Smith released the following statement on his web page Monday afternoon concerning the accident involving Deputy Cook.

“Deputy Cook had served as a Court Security & Transport Deputy since 2010. Shawn had also served the community as a member of the Russell Springs Fire Department for several years,” Smith said. “Please keep Shawn’s family, including his extended family within the Russell County Sheriff’s Department and other local emergency service agencies, in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”

The accident is being investigated by Kentucky State Police Trooper Jason Warinner.

He was assisted at the scene by additional KSP Troopers from Post 15 as well as Kentucky State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement officers, the Clinton County Sheriff’s Department, Albany Fire Department, Clinton County EMS, Clinton County Coroner and the Kentucky Department of Transportation, among other officials assisting at the scene.