Sunday morning, January 18, 2026, started like any other on Shakertown Road in Boyle County. By late morning, it had turned into a moment the community will not forget. Hector Sanchez, 55, of Burgin, Kentucky, lost his life in a sudden two-vehicle crash that left family and friends stunned and heartbroken.
Kentucky State Police Post 7 in Richmond said troopers were called just before 11:00 a.m. to Shakertown Road, also known as KY-33. What they found was a violent collision that unfolded in seconds but changed many lives forever.
Investigators say Hector Sanchez was driving a 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis southbound when part of his car left the roadway. As he tried to correct and get back onto the pavement, the vehicle crossed the center line into oncoming traffic. That is when it collided head-on with a northbound 2000 Chevrolet Silverado.
The Silverado was driven by Ernest Robinson, 67, of McKee, Kentucky. The impact was severe. Sanchez suffered critical injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene by Boyle County Coroner Eric Guerrant. Robinson was taken to the University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital, where he was treated for injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening.
Check: Belleville, Shenandoah Burton’s bright light was extinguished far too soon
For those who knew Hector Sanchez, the loss is deeply personal. At 55, he was a familiar face in Burgin, someone tied to everyday moments, routines, and relationships. His death leaves a silence that is hard to describe, the kind that settles in when a life is taken without warning.
The crash investigation is being led by Trooper Tyler Holt of the Kentucky State Police. He was assisted by the Boyle County Sheriff’s Office, Boyle County EMS, Boyle County Fire Department, the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department, and the Boyle County Coroner’s Office. Authorities continue to examine the scene and circumstances to fully understand what led to the collision.
As the investigation moves forward, the focus for many has shifted from answers to remembrance. The community is pausing to grieve, to share stories, and to hold close the memory of a man whose life mattered far beyond the crash site.
Hector Sanchez will be remembered not for the tragedy of that Sunday morning, but for the life he lived before it. His family and friends now carry that memory forward, leaning on one another in the difficult days ahead and honoring a life gone far too soon.
