A 27-year-old man died after being struck by a vehicle while trying to cross Shelbyville Road in Middletown on Friday afternoon, according to police. Michael Dever was found unconscious along the side of the road near the 12500 block of Shelbyville Road, close to Old Shelbyville Road, around 2:30 p.m.
Emergency crews rushed Dever to UofL Hospital, where he later died from life-threatening injuries sustained in the crash, according to WLKY. Personnel from Anchorage Middletown Fire and EMS were the first responders on scene, treating Dever before his transport to the hospital, as reported by WDRB. The driver of the vehicle that struck Dever stayed at the scene and is cooperating with investigators, and no criminal charges are pending against them at this time.
Middletown traffic officers are still investigating what led up to the crash. The station's report notes that anyone with information can call the city's anonymous tip line at 502-755-4MPD (4673), or reach investigating Officer Cummins directly at 502-365-1900.
Why the Driver May Not Face Charges
Kentucky law helps explain the pedestrian right-of-way rules. Under KRS 189.570(6)(a), pedestrians who cross a roadway outside a marked or unmarked crosswalk are legally required to yield the right-of-way to vehicles, according to Justia Law. The provision addresses a pedestrian's duty to yield when crossing outside a marked or unmarked crosswalk.
But the same law cuts both ways. KRS 189.570(6)(d) also imposes a duty on drivers to exercise proper precaution to avoid hitting a pedestrian, including sounding the horn if necessary, regardless of who technically had the right-of-way, per Justia Law. Kentucky's comparative fault system addresses how responsibility may be shared.
A Recent Crash on Shelbyville Road
The road was also the site of a multi-vehicle collision near Burnley Road in May, which sent two people to the hospital, including a pregnant woman with serious injuries, according to WHAS11.
Middletown police have acquired a speed gun.
Part of a Grim Citywide Pattern
Dever's death adds to a troubling trend across Louisville. Vision Zero Louisville safety data compiled by Kaufman & Stigger shows the city recorded 44 pedestrian fatalities in 2024, above a recent annual average of around 35. Statewide, pedestrian collisions made up less than 1% of all traffic crashes in Kentucky in 2023 but accounted for more than 15% of the state's traffic fatalities, causing 125 deaths, according to the Dickman Law Office.
Louisville Metro Government's Vision Zero initiative has designated a High Injury Network covering roughly 5% of the city's non-interstate surface roadways that account for 55% of fatal and serious-injury collisions on non-interstate roads, per LouisvilleKY.gov. The pattern echoes another recent Hoodline story on a fatal Preston Highway crossing, where the driver also stayed at the scene and LMPD did not expect to file charges at that time.
Middletown police have not released further details about how the crash unfolded or whether Dever was crossing at an intersection. The investigation remains active as traffic officers work to determine what happened in the moments before the collision.
