Louisville man arrested after police say he drove drunk and rear-ended traffic on I-264 East, triggering 6-vehicle crash

A man accused of driving under the influence was arrested after a crash on Interstate 264 East in Louisville involving six vehicles, police said. The incident occurred Nov. 11, 2026, on the expressway east of the city, where officers responded to reports of a multi-car collision and determined that the driver in the lead vehicle’s lane had allegedly caused the initial impact.

Police identified the man as James Barnes and said he was driving a commercial vehicle at the time of the wreck. Authorities said Barnes rear-ended the car directly in front of him, and that initial collision was followed by additional impacts as traffic was compressed and vehicles struck one another.

According to the account provided by police, the crash resulted in a six-vehicle pileup on I-264 East. Responders worked the scene as vehicles were brought away from the roadway and investigators gathered information to determine the cause of the crash and whether impairment played a role in the initial rear-end collision.

Police said Barnes was arrested after the investigation. While the arrest followed the allegation that he was driving drunk, authorities did not describe in the report the specific criminal charges or the results of any tests in the information made available for this story.

The crash led to disruption on a major Louisville interstate corridor, affecting motorists who were traveling on I-264 East during the incident. Officials typically urge drivers to slow down and follow directions from law enforcement at crash scenes, particularly on interstate routes where congestion can develop quickly after an initial collision.