LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A Louisville man has been arrested in connection with a January homicide in which a man died after being struck by another vehicle while hanging on the outside of a moving car.
The incident occurred on January 23 at approximately 7 p.m. in the area of South 4th Street and Winkler Avenue, just a short distance from the University of Louisville campus. Louisville Metro Police responded to reports of a person being hit by a vehicle. Upon arrival, officers discovered that the victim, who was hanging from the outside of a car, was fatally struck by another vehicle. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
Initial reports from the police suggested that the driver of the vehicle the victim was hanging from had swerved into oncoming traffic, intentionally hitting another vehicle. This collision caused the victim to be ejected and hit by the second car. At the time, authorities briefly detained a person they believed to be involved, but later determined that the individual was not responsible for the fatal incident.
Following an investigation, the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) released a public plea for information in February, sharing a photo of a person of interest in the case. After further inquiry, detectives identified 33-year-old Desean Neal as the primary suspect. Neal, who was already in custody at the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections (LMDC) on unrelated charges, was formally charged with murder in connection to the homicide.
In addition to the murder charge, Neal faces several other charges, including wanton endangerment, criminal mischief, theft, escape, and tampering with a prisoner monitoring device.
The investigation into the fatal incident remains ongoing as police continue to piece together the details of the case. Authorities urge anyone with additional information to come forward.
This tragic event has left many in the Louisville community shaken as law enforcement works to bring closure to the victim’s family.
