LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The man accused of driving his car into a family of four in downtown Louisville was on probation at the time, according to court records.
Southern Indiana's Michael Hurley is charged with murder, assault and driving under the influence of a substance after the July 5 collision that left a man dead and two others still in critical condition. Louisville Metro Police (LMPD) said Hurley admitted to taking hydrocodone before driving, affecting his ability to turn.
Court records show Hurley had more than a year left on his probation sentence out of Scott County, Indiana, at the time of the crash. A Scott County judge had ordered 812 days of probation for Hurley starting in August 2021, following 49 days spent in jail according to the court documents.
It came after he pleaded guilty to illegally having and using a prescription drug, and unlawful possession of a syringe in an incident last summer. That case was also directly connected to a narcotic drug.
Court documents also show Hurley was originally charged with having Heroin in his car in that case.
The Louisville crash put the Jones family, visiting from Kansas for a basketball tournament, in the hospital. Ava Jones, a top high school recruit, and her mother remain in critical condition. Father Trey Jones later died from his injuries.
Scott County Prosecutor Chris Owens told WHAS11 that for Hurley's Indiana case, probation warranted an assessment through their court's drug and alcohol program. And depending on the result, it could have ordered anything from required counseling to even inpatient services.
But Owens said the probation office can't reveal the results of that assessment because of privacy concerns.
Melissa Dannefer is the mom of a player from the same travel basketball league as the one Ava participates in. She was also in Louisville for the Run 4 Roses Classic last week, the largest youth girls basketball tournament in the country.
"Everyone, at least in the Kansas basketball world, knows who Ava is," Dannefer said. "We continue to pray for her, her mom and her family. It's just heartbreaking."
A week after the deadly collision, families from across the country continue to show support, as evidenced by a memorial created by friends and family on 2nd and Market Streets in downtown Louisville.
As of Tuesday, July 12, more than $100,000 have been raised for the Jones family.
Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.