2 minors injured after stolen car crashes into Courtyard by Marriott in downtown Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Police are investigating after a car drove into a downtown Louisville hotel following a pursuit that went from southern Indiana into Kentucky.

According to Dwight Mitchell, a Louisville Metro Police Department spokesman, officers were called early Thursday morning to the scene of a car crashing into a building in the 100 block of South 2nd Street. The scene is directly across from the KFC Yum! Center arena. After further investigation, LMPD learned the Clarksville Police Department was in a pursuit of a stolen vehicle that traveled over the Clark Memorial Bridge into Kentucky early Thursday morning.

Around 1:45 a.m., Clarksville police said a patrol unit going west on Browns Station Way noticed a black car heading east at a speed of 90 miles per hour. The officer turned around to catch up to the vehicle and attempted to pull the driver over. CPD said the officer turned on his emergency lights and siren to stop the vehicle, but the vehicle continued across the Clark Memorial Bridge.

After crossing the Ohio River into Louisville, police said the driver attempted to make a hard right turn on Main Street and lost control. The vehicle, a KIA sedan, struck the Courtyard by Marriott Downtown Louisville hotel, causing significant damage to the building. The sound of the crash awakened many hotel guests.

“I actually heard a brief tire screech and then a bang,” Carole Kaufhold said. “And it did feel like something hit the building. But when I looked out the room in the hotel, all I could see were police cruisers and a fire truck.”

“I heard this loud, like an earthquake-ish type sound,” Calvin Scott said. “And the next thing I hear is ‘get on the floor, get on the ground’ from the policeman. I’m looking out the balcony and this kid is just agonizing in pain but it was just surreal that this was actually happening.”

Two minors who were in the car were taken to Norton Children’s Hospital, according to police.

Clarksville police, who are handling the investigation, said the car had been stolen from Jeffersonville. The juveniles, whose ages have not been released, will face charges in Clark County.

Mitchell confirmed no LMPD officers were involved in the pursuit.

Workers were able to begin cleaning up the scene after the car was removed from the building by a wrecker late this afternoon.

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