Hit-and-run on Leestown Road kills healthcare worker

A local healthcare worker died in a hit-and-run in Lexington early Friday morning when her car was struck by an SUV.

According to Lexington police, at 7:04 a.m. the SUV hit the passenger car on Leestown Road at the intersection near Kroger. The car caught on fire, and the SUV’s driver, a 34-year-old male, fled the scene on foot.

Police said the first officers on the scene caught the driver and took him to a hospital. He currently faces a charge of leaving the scene of an accident/failure to render aid, and might face others depending on the outcome of the ongoing investigation.

The Fayette County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as Tammy Botkin, a Marathon Health employee and retired Fayette County schools employee.

Botkin’s husband, Doug, is the interim director of the maintenance department of Fayette County schools.

Leestown Road was closed until approximately 3 p.m. because of the accident. Lexington police’s collision reconstruction unit is continuing to investigate the incident.

This story was originally published July 3, 2020 at 1:54 PM.