Driver detained after ramming truck into Kentucky jail building

Published 4:54 pm Tuesday, July 13, 2021

A pickup truck crashed into a building housing the jail in Kentucky’s largest city Tuesday, and the driver was detained, police said.

The truck was painted with a popular rallying cry among demonstrators in Cuba, “Patria y vida,” which translates to “fatherland and life” in English, news outlets reported.

The truck rammed into the front of Louisville’s Metro Corrections building shortly after noon.

The streets surrounding the jail were blocked off. The front side of the the jail, where administrative staff are located, was evacuated, said Steve Durham, assistant director of Louisville Metro Corrections. Inmates were informed of the crash.

“Everybody is all right,” he said. “No one was hurt in this particular event. There is just some concern that inmates have, so we’re trying to answer those questions.”

The bomb squad was deployed to the scene as a precaution, Louisville police spokesperson Elizabeth Ruoff said.

In a tweet, Louisville Metro Police urged drivers to avoid the area around the building.