DUI Accident in Louisville, Kentucky Leads To Murder Charges

On Saturday, April 22, 2023, a 27-year-old man rearended a vehicle on Shepherdsville Road in Louisville, Kentucky and as a result of this accident a 17-year-old boy in the backseat of the car that was rearended, died. The 27-year-old had a blood alcohol limit of .338 or 4 times the legal limit and is being charged with murder, five counts of wanton endangerment and operating a vehicle under the influence. He was driving without a license.

Are you at fault in a car accident if you are driving without a license?

Some people believe that if you are driving in a car without a license that you will be considered at fault in an auto accident, but this myth is simply not true. You will certainly be guilty of driving without a license and be fined, but you are only at fault in an accident if you violated a legal duty and that violation caused the accident. If a child, a blind man or anyone else is driving an automobile, they are not considered at fault in the accident unless they, in fact caused the accident.

What are your responsibilities after an accident?

KRS 189.580 describes the duty of someone involved in an accident. If there is an injury, you are responsible for stopping and rendering aide to the victim. You must disclose the registration information on the vehicle to the others involved in the accident. If the accident happens on an interstate highway or parkway or on/off ramp and there are no injuries, you must move the vehicle off the roadway but stay close to the accident site.

Leaving the scene of an accident is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to $500 and one year in jail. If the accident involves the death or serious injury to another, the crime is upgraded to a Class D felony punishable up to $10,000.00 and 5 years in prison.

How can you be charged with murder in an auto accident in Kentucky?

KRS 507.020 defines murder in the state of Kentucky. It says that “A person is guilty of murder when: Including, but not limited to, the operation of a motor vehicle under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to human life, he wantonly engages in conduct which creates a grave risk of death to another person and thereby causes the death of another person.

In Kentucky, a charge of murder based upon the above law, is normally made when someone is driving a car under the influence of alcohol or drugs like in the accident described herein. Also, death caused while texting is another common circumstance they may result in a murder charge under the statute described above. There are other circumstances that could lead to a murder charge. Driving a 150 mph on a highway or 100 mph in a neighborhood with a 25 mph speed limit, driving into a crowd of people or any similar outrageous conduct even if someone is not on drugs.

Contact Kentucky Auto Accident Attorney!

The circumstances involved in the deadly accident described above will require the services of an experienced Kentucky auto accident attorney to investigate and locate all available evidence to determine liability and to maximize all insurance benefits available to the victim in this auto accident. Matthew Troutman, Kentucky auto accident lawyer, of the Troutman Law Office has been handling auto accident claims, almost exclusively, since 1986 and has the experience and talent to obtain the best result for the victims in the above car accident. It is very likely that the at fault driver will not have enough insurance to fully compensate the victim’s estate, and, therefore, it will be important for there to be underinsured motorist benefits available to the victims.

If you need legal assistance due to a motor vehicle accident, contact Kentucky auto accident attorney Matthew Troutman directly at 859-696-0001 or 502-648-9507 and he will meet with you in the hospital, your home or wherever is convenient for you. He will give you direct access through his cell phone and guide you through the difficult process necessary to obtain the best result possible for you in your car accident claim. To learn more about Kentucky car accident attorney Matthew Troutman and the Troutman Law Office, click here