Alcohol not involved in Posey teen’s death

Posey County Sheriff Tom Latham apologized to the family of a Cynthiana teen who was killed in a crash in November, after his initial report stated alcohol could have been a factor.

Authorities investigated a deadly crash which took place on State Road 65 in Posey County on the morning of November 21, 2025.

The Posey County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the call around 3:26 a.m. Authorities said they found a white Ford F-150 significantly damaged and partially wrapped around a tree.

The driver was identified as 19-year-old Parker Payne of Cynthiana. Authorities said Payne was found dead inside the vehicle. After a preliminary investigation of the incident, the sheriff’s office stated in a release on November 22, 2025, alcohol may have been a factor in the crash.

On January 9, 2026, Latham stated a toxicology report stated there were “no alcohol or any intoxicants in his system, which would have caused impairment, resulting in the crash.”

“I apologized to the family for the inaccurate premature information released,” Latham stated.