Lexington woman charged with manslaughter. Police say she drove drunk, was in fatal crash
A Lexington woman faces charges after she allegedly caused a fatal wreck in Lexington last year, according to the Lexington Police Department.
Mallory Patterson, 21, has been charged with manslaughter, DUI and operating a vehicle without a license in connection to the crash, police said. Her indictment says she “wantonly operated a motor vehicle causing the death of Jessica Patterson.”
The collision happened early in the morning on March 19 on Tates Creek Road and Garden Grove Walk. Police said Mallory Patterson left the road and struck a tree, trapping Jessica Patterson underneath the vehicle.
Jessica Patterson, 46, was pronounced dead on scene by the Fayette County Coroner’s Office, according to police. Mallory Patterson sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Lexington police’s Collision Reconstruction Unit investigated the wreck and determined Mallory Patterson was driving drunk at the time. Her indictment says she “unlawfully operated a motor vehicle while she was under the influence of alcohol.”
Mallory Patterson was arrested Dec. 21, but she was released from jail the same day after posting a $7,000 bond, according to court records. She’s due in Fayette Circuit Court for an arraignment Friday.
Jessica Patterson was a childcare provider who liked playing games, listening to music and singing and dancing with her family and friends, according to her obituary. Her obituary also indicates Mallory Patterson is her daughter. She had two other children.
“Jessica enjoyed playing card games, board games, listening to music, singing and dancing all in the company of her family and friends that she loved and cherished so deeply,” her obituary reads.
The crash was one of 52 fatal crashes in Lexington last year. That is the highest number of deaths from crashes recorded in a single year in Fayette County since Kentucky State Police began tracking deadly crashes in 2010, according to online data from KSP.
The only other time Fayette County recorded 50 deaths from wrecks in a single year since 2010 was in 2016, when 50 people were killed in 48 collisions, according to KSP data.
This story was originally published January 5, 2024 at 6:46 AM.
