A 29-year-old special education teacher in Kentucky was arrested this week after allegedly drinking alcohol before driving to school and striking a pedestrian, according to Law & Crime.

Jamie Caldwell was taken into custody at the school on Wednesday morning. She faces charges of aggravated operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol and leaving the scene of an accident without providing aid or assistance in a case of death or serious physical injury, as announced by authorities.

As reported in a news release from the Lexington Police Department, officers responded to a hit-and-run call around 6:50 a.m. on Wednesday in the 1000 block of Georgetown Road. Upon arrival, first responders found the pedestrian, who was transported to a local hospital for treatment of “life-threatening injuries.”

Police utilized the department’s “Real-Time Intelligence Center” to track down the vehicle and driver, later identified as Caldwell. The report states that officers found Caldwell at Glendover Elementary School, where she works as a teacher. At the scene, they found her vehicle parked in the school lot with visible damage. Officers noted that Caldwell had “bloodshot and watery” eyes reports Lexington’s NBC affiliate WLEX. They also mentioned smelling alcohol on her.

Caldwell allegedly confessed to drinking “Bacardi Rum” on Tuesday evening. She also mentioned taking prescription medications for anxiety, depression, and high blood pressure on Wednesday morning, reports reveal. She also reportedly admitted that while driving to school that morning, “she heard a thud, but did not realize she hit a person,” WLEX reported.

Caldwell was taken into custody and processed at the Fayette County Detention Center. On Thursday, she appeared in court via Zoom, where she pleaded not guilty to the charges, as reported by WTVQ. She is being held on a $25,000 cash-only bond. 

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