Background: The aftermath of the alleged car ramming on March 22, 2026 (WKYT/YouTube). Inset: Kaydence Carpenter (Fayette County Detention Center).
A young woman is facing multiple charges after allegedly driving under the influence and striking a group of pedestrians in a Kentucky parking lot, according to authorities.
The incident involved 20-year-old Kaydence Carpenter, who has been charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated, reckless driving, and second-degree assault, as reported by Lexington’s CBS affiliate, WKYT. Although she has been released on bond from the Fayette County Detention Center, Carpenter appeared in court this week, where the details of the incident were revealed.
Lexington Police Officer Amelia Hardy provided testimony regarding the events of the early morning of March 22. She recounted hearing a disturbance in a parking lot located at the intersection of Short and Mill streets in downtown Lexington, Kentucky, where a gathering of people had assembled.
Officer Hardy described witnessing a black passenger car mount the yellow-marked curb and drive into a crowd of individuals standing on the sidewalk. Four individuals reported injuries to the officers, including head and leg injuries, with one person potentially facing paralysis.
Footage of the incident captured the moment a group of people surrounded a black sedan, which then reversed and accelerated, appearing to veer into the crowd, striking two individuals to the ground. The vehicle then proceeded to navigate what seemed to be a busy city street.
The driver was reportedly traveling in the wrong direction on a one-way street.
Officers arrested Carpenter, saying she smelled like alcohol and had slurred speech and that they found a fake ID in her car.
“She showed impaired judgment and relaxed inhibitions,” Hardy said. “She began dancing for an individual who was video taping her.”
Carpenter’s attorney, however, pointed out that his client was surrounded, was punched, and that one of the other people appeared to have a gun, per WKYT. He noted that Hardy did not see any of this, only the events once Carpenter began driving over the curb.
The case is moving to a grand jury.
Law&Crime reached out to the Lexington Police Department for more information.
