Louisville man charged with 3rd DUI after crashing into LMPD officer downtown

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Louisville man was charged with DUI after crashing into a Louisville Metro Police officer early Friday morning.

Louisville Metro Police spokesperson Aaron Ellis said the crash happened around 3:20 a.m. at the intersection of 2nd and West Market streets. The officer was in a marked LMPD cruiser with lights and sirens activated.

The situation started when a group of people attempted to break into cars near East Main and South Jackson streets. Officers responded to the area, but the group fled, causing officers to begin chasing them. As those pursuits took place, many of the officers were told over their radios to divert to crash at 2nd and Market streets.

Officers responded to the crash to find the officer trapped in his cruiser and Anthony Lewis, the 32-year-old man driving the other car, bleeding from his face. According to his arrest citation, the officers could smell the alcohol coming from the car even before they were directly in front of Lewis.

Lewis told police he had three cocktails and a shot at a bar in southern Indiana, but police said they found an empty fifth of Kentucky Premium Whiskey and a partially filled bottle of Evan Williams in the car. He was arrested and charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, reckless driving and possession of an open alcoholic beverage container in a motor vehicle.

Ellis the officer was traveling eastbound on Market Street, attempting to get to the area of the previous break-in report, and Lewis was traveling southbound on 2nd Street. Both vehicles were spun around and damaged. EMS tended to both victims, and they were taken to UofL Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Both were alert and conscious.

Lewis has two previous DUI charges: one in 2015, for which he served 30 days in jail, and another in 2017, for which he served 180 days in jail.

He's scheduled to appear in court at 9 a.m. Saturday.

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