Kentucky State Police Investigate Knott County Fatality 

Emmalena, KY (April 10, 2026) – On Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at approximately 12:11 a.m., troopers conducted a motorist assist on KY-80 near Sylvester Branch in the Emmalena community of Knott County.

During the interaction, the vehicle operator advised that he had struck an object in the roadway and was attempting to determine what had been hit. Following a brief canvass of the area, troopers located a small minibike and its operator nearby.

Preliminary investigation indicates that a minibike, operated by Denzel Napier Jr., 48, of Emmalena, was traveling on KY-80 without lights or reflective markings. A 2018 Ford F-150 traveling in the same lane subsequently struck the minibike from the rear.

The Knott County Coroner’s Office responded to the scene and pronounced Mr. Napier deceased. It was also determined that he was not wearing a helmet at the time of the collision.

Mr. Napier was transported to Frankfort for autopsy and toxicology testing. The investigation remains ongoing and is being reconstructed by Detective Scott Caudill.

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