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WEBVTT OFFICERS POLICE CRUISER DURING A TRAFFIC STOP. >> IT SOUNDED LIKE A BOOM. T NOISE OF THE EXPLOSION TRAVELING THROUGHOUT DOWNTOWN. >> WE ACTUALLY THOUGHT IT COULD’VE BEEN A TYPE OF BOMB. TRE: SENDING A WAVE ON ONLOOKERS TO THE BELVEDERE WHERE UNDERNEATH IT, ON I-64, LAID A FIERY WRECK. >> I GOT OVER HERE ON THE SCENE PROBABLY LESS THAN TEN MINUTES AND THEY ALREADY RE-ROUTED T TRAFFIC AND BOTH DIRECTIONS. TRE: WLKY CHOPPER H.D. FLEW ABOVE THE SCENE WHERE POLICE SAY, JUST AFTER TWO MONDAY AFTERNOON, LOUISVILLE METRO POLICE DETECTIVE DEIDRE MENGEDOHT, A SEVEN YEAR MEMBER OF THE FORCE WAS INSIDE OF HER , POLICE CRUISER, WITH EMERGENCY LIGHTS ON DURING A TRAFFIC STOP. >> A SEMI-TRUCK TRAVELING EASTBOUND IN THE FARTHEST RIGHT-HAND LANE STRUCK THE BACK OF HER VEHICLE WITH HER INSIDE. TRE: SHE BECAME TRAPPED IN FLAMES, AND DIED ON SCENE. POLICE SAY THE DRIVER WAS THIS MAN, ROGER BURDETTE, AN EMPLOYEE WITH MSD WHO, THEY SAY, WAS UNDER THE INFLUENCE WHILE BEHIND THE WHEEL OF AN MSD SEMI TRUCK. OUR CAMERAS WERE ROLLING WHEN WAS BEING GIVEN A FIELD SOBRIETY TEST ON SCENE, APPARENTLY BARELY ABLE TO WALK A STRAIGHT LINE. >> I CAN’T IMAGINE WHAT HER FAMILY IS GOING THROUGH TODAY. TODAY OF ALL DAYS. TRE: THE CHRISTMAS EVE TRAGEDY, SENDING SHOCKWAVES TO BOTH CITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT LEADERS. >> OBVIOUSLY IT’S CHRISTMAS EVE SO JUST PRAYERS FOR THE FAMILY RIGHT NOW, THAT’S ALL WE REALLY NEED. >> I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT FOR EVERYBODY TO RECOGNIZE THE SACRIFICES THAT OFFICERS MAKE EVERY SINGLE DAY FOR US IN THIS COMMUNITY. I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY DURING THIS TIME OF YEAR, RECOGNIZE THE SACRIFICE THAT OUR OFFICERS ARE MAKING AS WE TAKE TIME OFF FOR T HOLIDAYS. TR AS YOU CAN SEE, JUST MINUTES AGO POLICE REOPENED I-64 NEAR THE BELVEDERE, ALLOWING TRAFFIC THROUGHOUT THE INTERSTATE. ONCE AGAIN, TRAFFIC IS BACKED REOPEN

Advertisement LMPD officer dies in crash on I-64; MSD employee charged with murder, DUI Share Shares Copy Link Copy

A police officer is dead after a fiery crash on I-64 involving an MSD truck and an LMPD cruiser. Officials identified the deceased as LMPD Det. Deidre Mengedoht, 32. Police chief Steve Conrad said Mengedoht had served seven-plus years with the force. Mengedoht was reportedly conducting a traffic stop around 2 p.m. Monday on a truck with four passengers inside when an MSD truck crashed into her cruiser. The officer's cruiser then struck the truck that had pulled over and caught fire. Investigators said the officer had her emergency lights on and was in the right-hand lane.Police said Mengedoht was trapped inside her burning cruiser and died at the scene.Police arrested the driver, 60-year-old Roger Burdette, on charges of murder and DUI. Burdette is an MSD employee. Officials said Burdette admitted to taking multiple prescription drugs.A number of officials and other departments offered their condolences Monday evening.Louisville mayor Greg Fischer released the following statement: "My heart is breaking today as we mourn the tragic death of Louisville Metro Police Detective Deidre Mengedoht. When Deidre joined LMPD, she committed herself to service on behalf of our city, and her death is a painful reminder of the sacrifices that our public safety professionals make every day. Our thoughts and prayers go to Deidre’s family, and to Second Division Major Ryan Bates and his team, Chief Conrad and all LMPD officers as they mourn their sister’s death. At a time when so many of us are gathered with family in celebration of the holidays, this is a terribly sad day for our entire community. I urge my fellow citizens to join me in praying for Deidre’s family, and her LMPD brothers and sisters."“It’s very devastating to the department," said Metro Council president David James, who formerly served with LMPD. "The officers that work with these officers that we’ve lost, it’s devastating to them also. It’s a big loss for them. The police department is like one giant family and they love one another, so it’s just very hard.” “At this point all I ask for is prayers for the officer’s family. Obviously it’s Christmas Eve so just prayers for the family right now, that’s all we really need,” Louisville Fraternal Order of Police president Nicolai Jilek said. “Every day this is a potential reality. And every day that we all can go to bed, where everybody goes home safe, is a good day. But you really never know when these things can happen. That risk is there every day.” On Wednesday afternoon Det. Mengedoht was transported from the Coroner's office to O.D. White and Sons Funeral home.