A bicyclist commuting to a shift at Baptist Health Louisville was left with facial fractures and a deviated septum after a driver pulled out in front of them near Browns Lane and Kresge Way and then sped off, according to police. The crash happened around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, and the injured rider is now waiting in the hospital for facial surgery.
According to WLKY, the bicyclist was heading south on Browns Lane when a vehicle turning left out of the Baptist Health entrance pulled directly into their path. Police said the bicyclist struck the passenger side of the vehicle. The bicyclist told WLKY they had a green light at the time of the collision. The driver then continued driving toward Breckenridge Lane rather than stopping, police said.
The bicyclist, who has asked to remain anonymous, was wearing a helmet and had bike lights on at the time of the crash, a detail that matters under Kentucky Transportation Cabinet regulation 601 KAR 14:020, which requires a red reflector or red light visible from 100 feet and, during the stated low-visibility conditions, a rear red light visible from 500 feet, according to the Legislative Research Commission. Because Louisville Metro Code § 74.02 bars cyclists 11 and older from riding on sidewalks, adult commuters like this one are required to ride in the road rather than on a sidewalk alongside it.
A Hospital Corridor Turned Crash Scene
The collision unfolded near Baptist Health Louisville. The bicyclist was on the way to work there when the crash occurred, underscoring how a routine commute into a major medical campus turned into a serious injury and an unsolved criminal case.
St. Matthews Police Chief Barry Wilkerson said officers have seen an uptick in hit-and-run incidents locally and that the trend hurts the victims caught up in these cases. Police have not released a description of the suspected vehicle. Under Kentucky law, leaving the scene of a crash involving death or serious physical injury is a Class D felony when the person knew or should have known about the death or injury, and can bring one to five years in prison and fines up to $10,000, according to the Legislative Research Commission.
Pattern of Fleeing Drivers Across Jefferson County
The case adds to a troubling local pattern. Vision Zero Louisville safety reporting says approximately 25% of pedestrian fatalities are hit-and-run, according to LouisvilleKY.gov.
Police Ask Public for Help Identifying Driver
Wilkerson has asked anyone who witnessed the crash or who has video footage of the area to contact St. Matthews Police. Tipsters can call the department at 502-893-9000. The case joins other recent hit-and-run investigations across the Louisville area, including a Goss Avenue crash injuring a couple reported the day before, and an unresolved case involving cyclist Kell Palletti that Louisville families have pursued for eight years.
No description of the fleeing vehicle has been released, and it remains unclear whether investigators have identified any suspects. For now, the bicyclist remains hospitalized awaiting facial surgery while St. Matthews police continue searching for the driver who left the scene.
