Man accused in fatal Dixie Highway crash to face more charges in Shelby County

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - The man charged with murder in the Monday night crash that killed a 17-year-old Butler High School student is set to face more charges in Shelby County.

On Wednesday, Shelby County Sheriff Mark Moore said his office is in the process of filing charges of robbery, armed robbery and wanton endangerment against Michael Dewitt for his role in events that took place before the fatal crash on Dixie Highway. The charges stem from a police charges on Interstate 64 and several robberies Moore said Dewitt committed at the Jefferson County-Shelby County line.

“[He was] driving at vehicles,” Moore said. “He was throwing items from the vehicle that we determined were probably parts from inside the car, console lids and sun visors and anything else that was loose in the car to distract officers from pursuing him.”

Moore said deputies gave chase, but Dewitt swerved into the median, got out of the car and ran off the highway onto Conner Station Road. He was able to evade K-9 deputies, state police troopers and a Louisville Metro Police helicopter. Shortly after, Moore said Dewitt burglarized one home in a neighborhood, then held another person at gunpoint and stole their truck. Moore told WAVE 3 News that stolen truck, a Ford F-350, was the one Dewitt was driving on Dixie Highway.

“It’s sickening,” Moore said. “I feel badly also that we did not apprehend him at the scene, but again, we didn’t make that situation and we performed the best we could with the facts that were given to us.”

A LMPD spokesperson said at the time of his arrest, there were multiple drugs in Dewitt’s system.

“I believe in rehabilitation,” Moore said. “I believe in treatment for people who have a substance abuse problem or a mental deficiency of some kind, but I believe the rehabilitation should start, if necessary, in the penal system, in the correctional system. I hope that Mr. Dewitt gets the help he needs, but I think it should take place from the confines of a jail.”

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