Young child struck by vehicle in Lewisport; investigation ongoing
By Jennifer Wimmer
An 18-month-old child was struck by a vehicle Sunday afternoon in Lewisport, prompting a multi-agency emergency response and an ongoing investigation by Kentucky State Police.
Deputies with the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office responded around 1:40 p.m. June 21 to the 900 block of Fourth Street, near the Poplar Grove Court parking lot.
Emergency personnel arrived on the scene to provide aid and assess the situation. According to witnesses, the child was not unattended at the time of the incident.
The child was initially transported by ambulance to Owensboro Health Regional Hospital, then airlifted to Norton Children’s Hospital in Louisville. The child was treated in the intensive care unit and is now considered in stable condition.
According to Kentucky State Police Trooper Corey King, the child suffered multiple broken bones, including a skull fracture and a broken pelvis, and was treated for a head laceration that required 25 stitches.
The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Lewisport Volunteer Fire Department, Hancock County Emergency Services, the Lewisport Police Department and Kentucky State Police.
Family members and neighbors gathered near the scene, where witnesses described an emotional atmosphere. Motorists were advised to avoid the area as traffic was impacted between Bluegrass Drive and the railroad tracks while first responders worked.
Kentucky State Police Post 16 is leading the investigation. King identified the driver as Patrick Taylor, 60, of Lewisport. Taylor was traveling north on Fourth Street in a silver Toyota Camry when he struck the child, who had run into the roadway. Taylor remained at the scene after the collision.
“Right now, it’s unknown how fast the vehicle was going, and at the time, there are no criminal charges,” King said. “There was nothing that was apparent that the driver displayed like intoxication or anything like that, but per the Kentucky Revised Statutes, we obtained a blood draw from him. That’s normal protocol, especially something involving a serious injury, a fatality or a projected fatality.”
The lab results usually take several weeks, he said, but there was nothing apparent to investigators at the scene to indicate impairment.
“According to the investigator, there was a get-together at that residence for Father’s Day, where there were roughly six children outside and the child got away before the parents noticed the child was going toward the road,” King said. “The parents pursued the child but did not make it in time.”
He said it is one of those tragic accidents that can happen. The residence is located very close to the roadway.
“It can easily happen,” King added. “Not that it’s anyone’s fault, it just happens. If you have very small children, especially in close quarters to dangerous areas like a highway, it’s very important to keep your focus on those children, even if that includes multiple caregivers out watching as well. It is certainly a tragic accident. We hate it for the child, the parents, but also the driver.”
He said the incident serves as a reminder for parents to remain vigilant with young children, and for drivers in congested areas to stay alert for anything that may enter the roadway, including pedestrians.
“That’s why we urge everyone to keep their head on a swivel and to slow down in those congested areas,” King said.
