A 39-year-old Louisville woman faces multiple charges after police said she crashed into a tree with three children in the vehicle Saturday evening. One child was found outside the wreck with blood coming from her nose. Police said Jamel Pugh was driving on a license suspended after a prior DUI and told officers she had consumed a vodka drink before driving.
According to WLKY, officers went to Wilart Drive at about 6:01 p.m. on Sept. 19 after the vehicle struck a tree. No other vehicles were involved. Police found Pugh holding two children, while a third child was outside the vehicle with a bleeding nose. EMS treated the children at the scene, the outlet reported.
Court records cited by WLKY say two of the children were not in a car seat or booster seat, although both were wearing seat belts. The two children also complained of pain after the crash, according to the records.
Police Account and the Charges
Pugh told police she was driving at the speed limit when a speed bump sent the vehicle into the tree, according to the report. Court records cited in the report place the speed bump about 100 yards from the crash site.
Kentucky Child-Restraint Requirements and Crash Data
For context, the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety says children younger than 40 inches must be properly installed in a car seat under KRS 189.125(3)(a). Children younger than 8 who are between 40 and 57 inches tall must use a booster seat under Kentucky law. The requirements help explain why improper-restraint allegations can lead to separate charges in a crash involving children.
Statewide data provide broader safety context but do not establish what caused injuries in this crash. The Kentucky Office of Highway Safety's 2019 traffic collision report said 732 people died in auto collisions that year, including 135 who were under the influence of alcohol and 289 who were under the influence of drugs. The report also found that 71% of vehicle occupants killed in fatal collisions were not restrained.
Records indicate Pugh did not have a valid driver's license or insurance when officers asked for them. Police also said they smelled alcohol on her after she was booked into Metro Corrections. She faces charges of wanton endangerment, driving on a DUI-suspended license, failure to use a child restraint device, driving without a license or negligence in an accident, having no registration plates, endangering the welfare of a minor and failure to maintain insurance, WLKY reported.
Bond and No-Contact Order
Pugh's bond was set at $7,500, and she was ordered not to have contact with the three children involved in the crash. According to the report, she told police, “If I go out to have a good time with my family of course I'm going to have a drink.”
The allegations, including drinking before driving and improper child restraints, remain part of a pending criminal case. The charges are allegations, and court records do not establish guilt.
