According to WAVE 3 News, the crash occurred on the eastbound lanes of the interstate between Ninth Street and Third Street in the area under the Belvedere.
Louisville Metro Police Chief Steve Conrad confirmed Deidre “Dede” Mengedoht was killed while performing a traffic stop.
In a Tweet, Governor Matt Bevin said that the officer was assisting a stranded motorist.
Heartbreaking news unfolding on this Christmas Eve involving a police officer who was assisting a stranded motorist…
PLEASE be careful on the roads this holiday season as you travel across Kentucky…We want everyone to make it safely home including those who protect and serve
— Governor Matt Bevin (@GovMattBevin) December 24, 2018
Mengedoht was 32 years old, with seven and a half years of service with LMPD.
Police say that she was performing a traffic stop on a truck in the far right, eastbound lane on I-64 when a semi-truck hit the back of the vehicle she was in. The semi pushed her vehicle into the pickup truck she had stopped. There were four people in the truck but they were not seriously injured.
Police say Mengedoht’s vehicle caught on fire.
Police said that she had her emergency lights on.
Roger D. Burdette, 60, was arrested and charged with murder of a police officer and operating a motor vehicle while under the influence in the case. Burdette was a city employee with Metropolitan Sewer District.
An MSD spokesperson released a statement shortly after Conrad spoke at a news conference:
“MSD is cooperating with Louisville Metro Police Department regarding a fatal accident today in downtown Louisville involving an LMPD officer. This is a tragic accident and our condolences go out to Detective Deidre Mengedoht’s family, her fellow officers and the community.”
