Police arrest driver after a vehicle hits 4 people in downtown Louisville

Billy Kobin, Louisville Courier Journal
·2 min read
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Police officers investigate the scene on Second Street and Market Street where a driver struck pedestrians in downtown Louisville on July 5, 2022. A man was taken into custody and charged with impairment and three adults and one child were taken to the UofL and Norton Children's Hospital.
Police officers investigate the scene on Second Street and Market Street where a driver struck pedestrians in downtown Louisville on July 5, 2022. A man was taken into custody and charged with impairment and three adults and one child were taken to the UofL and Norton Children's Hospital.

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Police detained a driver after a vehicle hit three adults and one child who were walking Tuesday evening in downtown Louisville, police say.

Louisville Metro Police spokeswoman Beth Ruoff said it "appears several were in critical condition" after a motorist struck "multiple pedestrians" by Second and Market streets just before 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Ruoff said on Wednesday morning that 33-year-old Michael Hurley, of Lexington, Indiana, was arrested following the incident.

The victims, whose ages were not provided, were taken to University of Louisville Hospital and Norton Children's Hospital, according to Ruoff.

Ruoff said on Wednesday morning that two adults remain in the hospital in critical condition; a teen who was treated at the University of Louisville Hospital remains in serious but stable condition; and a child was treated for minor injuries.

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Michael Hurley was charged with four counts of first-degree assault, along with driving under the influence and misdemeanor license to be in possession.

Police officers investigate the scene on Second Street and East Market Street where a driver struck pedestrians in downtown Louisville on July 5, 2022. A man was taken into custody and charged with impairment and three adults and one child were taken to the UofL and Norton Children's Hospital.
Police officers investigate the scene on Second Street and East Market Street where a driver struck pedestrians in downtown Louisville on July 5, 2022. A man was taken into custody and charged with impairment and three adults and one child were taken to the UofL and Norton Children's Hospital.

In an arrest citation, LMPD said Hurley was attempting to turn left off Market Street onto Second Street heading north when his car left the road and hit the four pedestrians.

Alcohol was not listed as a factor in the crash, but in his citation, LMPD said Hurley told officers he had taken hydrocodone and was "so tired that he could not make the turn."

Hurley pleaded not guilty to the charges during an arraignment hearing Wednesday morning and had his bond set at $500,000, with a public defender appointed to represent him, according to court records.This story has been updated.

Reach Billy Kobin at bkobin@courierjournal.com

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville police: Pedestrians hit by vehicle downtown at 2nd, Market