UPDATE: Twelve-year-old hit by car on Falls Hwy. expected to recover; now in fair condition

Twelve-year-old Meghan Roehrich was the victim of a hit-and-run driver on the Cumberland Falls Highway Monday, but police caught the man allegedly responsible for the crash a short time later.

Corbin Police Officer Steve Meadors said a 12-year-old girl, later identified as Roehrich, was taken by ambulance to Baptist Regional Medical Center and then flown on to the University of Kentucky Medical Center with injuries to her head after she was hit by a 1992 GMC van driven by Michael Wayne Petrey, 42, of Corbin.

Witnesses reportedly told Meadors that Roehrich and her little brother were on the shoulder of the road just north of the intersection of U.S. 25 W. and 5th Street Road.

"The girl pushed her little brother back from the road and ended up out in the road as the van approached," Meadors said witnesses told him. "The van struck her and then fled from the scene."

An employee at a nearby store who identified herself as "Angie," said that Roehrich was crossing the highway to her grandmother’s house. As the van was traveling north, it ran off the road into a parking lot and then swerved back onto the highway where it struck the girl.

Meadors said the driver of a vehicle following the van told police they were going about 55 mph at the time.

Steven Mulberry, a tow truck driver who works for Owens Auto and Truck Service, said he came up on the scene and followed the van to a home at 1017 S. Kentucky Ave. and called police.

"I have children of my own," Mulberry said. "I know he just ran off and left her."

Corbin Police Col. Bruce Rains said he was following the incident on the radio. When the call came in from Mulberry, Rains went to the house and arrested Petrey.

Rains said after he advised Petrey of his rights, Petrey told him that Roehrich ran out in front of him and then he hit her. He told police he got scared and drove away.

Petrey was taken to Baptist Regional Medical Center for blood work to determine if he was under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Rob Jones, Public Information Officer for the Corbin Police Department, said the it will take six to eight weeks to get the results of the blood test.

Jones said Roehrich was listed in serious condition at UK Hospital Monday night. She suffered injuries to her head as well as a broken femur and possibly a broken pelvis.

A hospital spokesperson told the media Tuesday that her condition had been upgraded to fair.

When reached Tuesday at the University of Kentucky Medical Center, Roehrich’s father declined to talk about the incident.
Petrey was lodged in the Whitley County Detention Center on charges of second-degree assault, leaving the scene of an accident, driving with no insurance and driving with no license.

At his arraignment Tuesday in Whitley District Court, Petrey pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charges of leaving the scene of an accident, driving with no insurance and driving with no license.

Because the assault charge is a felony, Judge Jason Price entered a "not guilty" plea on Petrey’s behalf. Price ordered Petrey to return to court at 1 p.m. on Aug. 3 to be sentenced on the misdemeanors and for a preliminary hearing on the assault charge to determine whether there is probable cause to present the case to a Whitley County Grand Jury.

Petrey then asked Price about reducing his $50,000 cash bond.

"The bond is going to remain the same until I find out what happened," Price told him.