Police: Louisville man accused in fatal South Louisville hit-and-run had BAC 4x legal limit

A Louisville man accused of being involved in a fatal hit-and-run Saturday night had a blood alcohol level more than four times the legal limit when he was taken into custody, police say.

Michael Dahl, 37, of Louisville, is being held at Louisville Metro Corrections and is charged with one count of the operation of a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, one count of leaving the scene and failing to offer assistance or first aid and one count of murder.

According to the arrest report, investigators believe Dahl was headed east in a 2024 Nissan at around 9 p.m. when the vehicle ran off the road in the 7700 block of Outer Loop and hit a pedestrian. A witness who caught the collision on dash cam footage and obtained license plate information said the vehicle fled the scene in Louisville's Highview neighborhood headed east on Outer Loop "at a high rate of speed." A short time later, Dahl was involved in a second crash, striking a tree head-on in the 8300 block of Johnson School Road near the Fern Creek neighborhood.

According to Dahl's arrest citation, he was slumped over the steering wheel of his vehicle when Louisville Metro Police officers later located him and he told detectives he had been depressed and "drinking alcohol all day" when he was taken into custody.

He was transported to UofL Hospital by first responders for minor injuries, where a toxicology report revealed a blood alcohol content of .342. The woman, identified as 45-year-old Crystal Daniel, was transported to UofL Hospital in critical condition and later died of her injuries.

Dahl's bond was set at $100,000 on Monday and his preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Sept. 10 in Jefferson District Court.

Louisville DUI Kentucky lawmaker pleads not guilty to DUI, reckless driving charges

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Police: Louisville man accused in fatal South Louisville hit-and-run had BAC 4x legal limit