LOUISVILLE, KY. (THECOUNT) — Emma Perez, 24, has been arrested and charged with two counts of second-degree manslaughter in connection with a September 6 motorcycle crash that killed Andrea Hill, 58, and Robert Smallwood, 62, near Louisville in Jefferson County, Kentucky.
Perez was arrested Saturday, September 19, according to jail records. She remained held at the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections ahead of an arraignment scheduled for Monday, September 21, at 9 a.m.
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The fatal collision occurred near the intersection of the Greenbelt Highway and Greenwood Road. According to court records, investigators determined that Perez was attempting to turn left from Greenbelt Highway onto Greenwood Road when she allegedly failed to yield to oncoming traffic.
Investigators based their findings on witness statements, surveillance footage and physical evidence collected during the investigation.
According to police, Perez was traveling at a high rate of speed while making the turn. Her vehicle struck a motorcycle carrying Hill and Smallwood, causing both riders to be ejected.
The two victims suffered fatal injuries and were transported to a hospital, where they later died.
The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office identified the victims as Hill and Smallwood, both of Seymour, Indiana. Their deaths followed the collision in Louisville, located in northern Kentucky along the Ohio River and within the Louisville metropolitan area.
The investigation continued after the crash as authorities examined the circumstances surrounding the collision and whether impairment played a role.
Court records state that police discovered THC cartridges inside Perez’s vehicle during a search. Authorities said blood and toxicology test results remained pending, meaning the available records did not establish whether Perez was impaired at the time of the crash.
The manslaughter charges stem from the deaths of the two people riding the motorcycle. The allegations against Perez remain subject to the criminal court process, and the pending toxicology results could provide additional information for investigators.
The crash occurred earlier in September on a roadway connecting portions of Louisville’s southern and southwestern areas. Greenbelt Highway and Greenwood Road serve traffic in the region, and the intersection became the focus of the investigation following the fatal collision.
Perez was scheduled to appear for arraignment Monday morning in Louisville. Court proceedings are expected to address the charges filed against her and the next steps in the case.
The investigation and legal proceedings remain ongoing. Additional information regarding the toxicology results, the victims’ medical treatment and the circumstances leading up to the crash had not been released in the information provided.
Google Maps: Greenbelt Highway and Greenwood Road, Louisville, Kentucky
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