The victim of a tragic Kentucky hit-and-run allegedly committed by an elementary school teacher has died.
The Fayette County Coroner said the pedestrian who died after the incident that happened in Lexington was 32-year-old Joshua Hampton, noting he passed away two days after the crash occurred, WSAZ reported on Thursday.
The suspect in the case was identified as Jamie Caldwell, 29, who taught at Glendover Elementary but has since been placed on administrative leave. An image shows the suspect:
In a press release on the day of the incident, the Lexington Police Department detailed what happened:
On Wednesday, April 16, 2025, around 6:50 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 1000 block of Georgetown Road for a hit-and-run collision involving a pedestrian. The pedestrian was transported to a local hospital with reported life-threatening injuries. Utilizing the department’s Real-Time Intelligence Center, officers located the vehicle and driver a short time later.
Caldwell allegedly fled the scene to get to work and that is where officers located her vehicle that was damaged.
She allegedly failed sobriety tests and a breath test which showed she was over three times the state’s legal limit for alcohol. The teacher reportedly told officers she had been drinking the night prior to the incident and took prescription anxiety, depression, and blood pressure medications hours later.
Caldwell was charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol and leaving the scene of an accident, which included failure to render aid and assist with death or serious physical injury, according to law enforcement.
When officers spoke with her after the collision, she reportedly told them she heard a “thud” at the scene but did not realize she had hit the victim. Per Fox 56, the victim suffered multiple blunt force injuries.
The day after the incident, Caldwell pleaded not guilty and a cash bond was set at $25,000, ABC 36 reported.
“The case has been sent to the grand jury, and Caldwell will stay under house arrest,” the recent WSAZ article said.
