Trooper describes pursuit before crash that killed Jake Luxemburger

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Tymetrius Walter is the suspect accused of crashing a stolen car into a bystander’s vehicle, killing fifth-grader Jake Luxemburger back on Sept. 16.

He’s since been charged with murder, wanton endangerment, receiving stolen property over $10,000 and assault.

“There was no way I could help that kid in the car,” Kentucky State Police Trooper Zach Napier said during an emotional preliminary hearing for Tymetrius Walter in Oldham County Wednesday.

In Walter’s preliminary hearing, Trooper Napier described the police pursuit that led up to the crash in painful detail.

He said it started on I-71 southbound in Oldham County near mile marker 22. That’s where he saw Walter’s vehicle suddenly speed away and run into the median.

Napier turned on his lights and tried to stop him, but he said Walter kept driving, traveling as fast as 115 mph.

“I mean he was driving on both shoulders, both emergency lanes, cutting in between vehicles,” Napier said. “I mean he almost struck multiple vehicles.”

Napier said the pursuit went on until mile marker 14. That’s where Napier was ordered to end the pursuit, but at the last minute, Walter took the exit.

Napier said Walter didn’t appear to slow down as he took the off-ramp. At the end of that ramp was the SUV that Jake and his grandmother were traveling in. Napier said Walter T-boned it so hard that it was launched into the air.

“Once he hit the vehicle, the vehicle went straight up in the air, flipped end over end, and then landed on its side on the driver’s side,” Napier said. “I went immediately up to Mr. Walter’s vehicle, made sure he didn’t have any weapons on him, made sure he was okay. I told him to stay in the vehicle.”

Napier then ran to the aid of the vehicle that was struck.

“That’s when I saw the ten-year-old passenger,” Napier said. “He was dead at that point.”

Napier said he knew there was nothing he could do at that point to save the child’s life, but he tried to keep the grandmother calm until EMS could arrive.

“There was no way I could open the door, no way I could get through the windshield,” Napier said. “So, I was just talking to them, talking them through it, telling them I’ve got help on the way.”

Luxemburger’s grandmother suffered serious injuries, including a broken vertebra, broken ribs and a punctured lung. Trooper Napier said she’s still recovering.

After the hearing, a judge decided that there was enough evidence to move the case to a grand jury. Walter’s bond was kept the same at $1.5 million cash.

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