An overnight accident involving a metro police officer has left one person dead and three others injured.
It happened just before midnight on the Watterson Expressway near Browns Lane overpass. Metro Police say that Officer Kenton Measle was heading westbound in his police cruiser when he struck a person standing near a stopped Ponitac van on the edge of the road. Measle's car then struck the van itself.
Jefferson County Deputy Coroner Jim Wesley has identified the person killed as 37 year old Donnie Puente of Louisville. Puente died at the scene from multiple injuries.
Two people inside in the van -- along with the officer -- were injured and taken to University Hospital. LMPD spokepersonTheir names and conditions have not been released.
LMPD commanders say Measle was not on duty at the time of the accident.
"It's my understanding that our communications section had received a call a few minutes earlier that a vehicle was stopped here. But that officer was not responding to that. he was going to work when he came upon this," said Lt. Col. Phil Turner, LMPD Assistant Chief.
The Watterson was closed for several hours wheile police investigated the accident. The interstate is now reopened to traffic.