Parents of Clark Memorial Bridge crash victim memorialize their daughter sharing her story

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Mackenzie Carpenter’s parents are still in shock, days after their daughter was killed in a crash on the Clark Memorial Bridge.

The crash happened Saturday afternoon around 2:45 p.m. Carpenter was a passenger in the vehicle driven by 22-year-old Trenton Davis of Jeffersonville, Indiana.

Police said the car was headed south on the bridge when, for unknown reasons, Davis lost control and crashed into a steel beam support on the bridge.

Davis was taken to the hospital in critical condition. Carpenter died at the scene before she could be taken to the hospital.

Police said Davis is facing charges of murder, driving under the influence, and driving with no insurance.

Carpenter’s parents, Kimberly and Eric, want to share their daughter’s story in the hopes that her death won’t be in vain. They want her story to show the consequences of drunk driving.

”No parent ever dreams that anything like that would ever happen, that you would lose your child,” Kimberly said. “You always just assume you would go first.”

When the crash happened, the Carpenters were at a movie. They didn’t check their phones until they got out later that night, and saw a missed call from the coroner.

“About two days before, my phone had gotten hacked,” Kimberly said. “So I was just kind of like oh someone’s being very sick and playing a sick joke.”

But then, Kimberly and Eric said they started feeling sick.

“Right then, I said something happened to my daughter,” Eric said. “I didn’t want to think that, but I knew it did. I just couldn’t believe it. I still can’t believe it.”

An arrest report said Davis was speeding when he hit stand-still traffic on the bridge.

He swerved and hit one of the support beams, instantly killing Carpenter, who was in the passenger seat. Both Davis and Carpenter had to be extricated by firefighters.

The arrest report said Davis had a blood alcohol level of .095. The legal limit for both Indiana and Kentucky is .08.

“My mind was just going from you knew it was real, then you cry,” Kimberly said. “And then just one minute it flips, and it’s like you’re hearing the news all over again. It’s like going from the acceptance to the denial stage.”

The Carpenters are a big family, and they’re all feeling Mackenzie’s loss. Eric and Kimberly have four sons and two daughters, including Mackenzie.

Kimberly said Mackenzie and her sister were best friends.

“She, the youngest sister, keeps talking about how Mackenzie will never be in her wedding or be an auntie or anything like that,” Kimberly said. “So she’s taking it really hard.”

Mackenzie’s parents said she had a giving spirit and was a person who you couldn’t help but laugh at.

“She led her life the way she wanted to,” Kimberly said. “She led a full 21 years. In that 21 years, she touched a lot of people. I’m just glad that she did. I just hope that everyone has good memories of her.”

“She was a daddy’s girl,” Eric said. “She was a very loving girl.”

Mackenzie’s visitation and funeral will be Wednesday at 1 p.m. at Garr Funeral Home in Sellersburg.

To donate to the Carpenter’s GoFundMe, click or tap here.

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