Louisville – According to a statement from Louisville Metro Police Spokesperson John Bradley, officers were summoned to the intersection of South 4th Street and Winkler Avenue at approximately 7 p.m. on a complaint that someone had been struck by a car.
Also on the scene was the Louisville Fire Department. Officers discovered a man dead in the road after arriving on the scene. On Saturday, the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office identified him as Michael Orchard, 34. Orchard was “hanging on the outside of” a car that was traveling down South 4th Street close to Winkler Avenue, according to the police.
Police initially said the driver of the vehicle “reportedly swerved into oncoming traffic intentionally,” hitting another vehicle. That caused Orchard to collide with that vehicle, causing fatal injuries. In an update Friday morning, police said that driver was not responsible for his death.
The driver of the vehicle Orchard was hanging out of fled on foot, but was later apprehended in the area of 7th Street and Algonquin Parkway and taken into custody, Bradley said. LMPD’s Homicide Unit and Traffic Unit are investigating. There were no other reported injuries, according to Bradley. Anyone with information on this or any other case is urged to call LMPD’s anonymous Crime Tip Line at (502) 574-LMPD (5673).
