Updated September 17, 2026: Lexington Police have arrested a 21-year-old man in connection with the fatal collision and have disclosed new details about how investigators identified the suspected vehicle.
What Happened
A pedestrian was killed in an early-morning hit-and-run on East High Street in Lexington, Kentucky, on Sunday, September 13, 2026.
Lexington Police said officers were dispatched at approximately 3:56 a.m. to the 600 block of East High Street, near Woodland Park, after receiving a report of a hit-and-run involving a pedestrian.
The Fayette County Coroner’s Office later identified the pedestrian as Chance Lee Martin, 19, of Crescent Springs, Kentucky.
The coroner said Martin died from multiple blunt-force traumatic injuries caused by the pedestrian-involved motor-vehicle collision.
Police initially reported that the vehicle involved had left the area before officers arrived, leaving investigators without a publicly identified driver or vehicle.
That changed several days later.
Lexington Police announced on September 16 that Riley Coston, 21, had been arrested in connection with the collision.
Police charged Coston with:
- Leaving the scene of an accident / failure to render aid involving death or serious physical injury
- Tampering with physical evidence
Those charges are allegations. Coston is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Coston pleaded not guilty during a September 16 court appearance. A judge set his bond at $100,000, and WKYT reported that his next court date in the case is scheduled for September 24.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Update: Police Use License-Plate Readers and Crash Evidence to Identify Suspect
The investigation now provides a real-world example of how police can identify a vehicle even when a driver allegedly leaves a fatal collision without stopping.
Lexington Police Sgt. Bige Towery said investigators used automatic license-plate readers, or ALPRs, to identify a potential suspect vehicle.
Police then combined that lead with evidence recovered or documented at the East High Street crash scene.
According to police, that work allowed the Collision Reconstruction Unit to confirm the suspected vehicle’s involvement and develop suspect information.
Investigators located the suspected vehicle in Scott County on Monday, September 14.
Coston was located in Lexington the following day, September 15.
The arrest citation also contains a significant allegation about what happened to the vehicle after the crash.
Police allege Coston drove the visibly damaged vehicle to a secluded farm in an effort to conceal it, then later returned and moved the vehicle to another location.
That allegation forms the basis for the separate tampering with physical evidence charge.
This remains an allegation rather than an established fact.
But from an accident-investigation standpoint, the case illustrates why evidence located away from the immediate crash scene can become crucial in a hit-and-run investigation.
Why Automatic License-Plate Readers Can Matter After a Hit-and-Run
An automatic license-plate reader does not necessarily need to capture the collision itself.
ALPR systems typically record identifying information from vehicles passing particular locations. Investigators can potentially use that information alongside:
- Approximate crash time
- Vehicle description
- Direction of travel
- Physical damage
- Surveillance footage
- Witness statements
- Debris recovered from the roadway
That can help narrow a large group of vehicles to a smaller number requiring investigation.
Lexington Police have now specifically said ALPR information helped them identify a potential suspect vehicle in the East High Street case.
Importantly, an ALPR hit by itself does not necessarily prove who was driving or establish civil fault.
Police still needed additional crash-scene evidence to connect the vehicle to the investigation.
Why the Suspected Vehicle May Be One of the Most Important Pieces of Evidence
Before the arrest, one of the biggest questions was whether investigators could locate the vehicle involved.
They now say they have.
That can materially change a fatal hit-and-run investigation.
An inspection of the suspected vehicle may allow investigators to examine:
- Front-end damage
- Bumper damage
- Hood damage
- Windshield damage
- Headlights
- Mirrors
- Paint or material transfer
- Broken components
- Biological evidence
- Vehicle event data where available
- Repair attempts
- Recently replaced components
Investigators can compare those findings against evidence from East High Street and the injuries documented in the collision.
The arrest citation’s allegation that the vehicle had obvious damage is particularly relevant.
The vehicle should still be evaluated using objective physical evidence rather than assuming that visible damage alone proves every part of the collision sequence.
Why Crash-Scene Evidence Still Matters After a Vehicle Is Found
Finding a suspected vehicle does not replace the need to reconstruct the crash itself.
Investigators may compare the vehicle with:
- Debris collected from East High Street
- Broken plastic or glass
- Part numbers
- Paint transfer
- Measurements from the scene
- Photographs
- Witness accounts
- Video
- The pedestrian’s injuries
- Final resting position
- Roadway markings
Police have said they combined their vehicle lead with evidence located at the scene before confirming the vehicle’s involvement in the investigation.
That is exactly why hit-and-run investigations can remain active even when the striking vehicle initially disappears.
Small pieces of evidence may become much more valuable once investigators have a vehicle to compare them against.
What Does a Tampering With Physical Evidence Charge Mean?
Kentucky law separately criminalizes certain conduct intended to interfere with physical evidence.
Under KRS 524.100, tampering with physical evidence can occur when a person, believing that an official proceeding is pending or may occur, intentionally destroys, conceals, removes, alters or otherwise interferes with physical evidence to impair its availability or reliability in that proceeding.
Tampering with physical evidence is classified as a Class D felony under the statute.
Police allege Coston moved the damaged vehicle to a secluded farm and later moved it again in an effort to conceal evidence.
Whether prosecutors can prove that allegation is a question for the criminal case.
It is also distinct from the allegation that the driver left the crash scene.
Leaving the Scene Is Different From Determining What Caused the Collision
Kentucky law generally requires the operator of a vehicle involved in a collision resulting in injury or death to immediately stop, determine the extent of the injury and provide reasonable assistance when necessary.
That duty arises after a collision.
It does not, by itself, answer every question about what occurred before impact.
The crash reconstruction may still examine:
- Vehicle speed
- Driver attention
- Visibility
- Lighting
- The pedestrian’s location
- Reaction time
- Braking
- Roadway geometry
- Sight distance
In other words, there can be separate factual questions concerning:
- How and why the pedestrian collision occurred
- What the driver allegedly did after the collision
The criminal allegations against Coston concern the second issue in significant part.
The complete civil-liability analysis still depends on the collision evidence.
Does the Lack of a Crosswalk Decide Fault?
No.
Initial reporting described the collision as occurring beside Woodland Park in an area without a nearby marked crosswalk.
That may be relevant to reconstruction, but it does not decide the entire case.
Investigators may still need to determine:
- Exactly where Martin entered or was traveling within the roadway
- What the driver could see
- Street lighting
- Vehicle speed
- Whether the driver was attentive
- How much reaction time existed
- Whether braking occurred
- Whether either person had a reasonable opportunity to avoid the collision
Civil fault should be based on the full evidence rather than a single roadway feature.
What Changes Now That Police Have Identified a Suspect?
The insurance investigation changes significantly.
When the vehicle and driver were unknown, one immediate question was whether insurance available to Martin or his household might provide protection involving an unidentified vehicle.
Now investigators can begin asking a different set of questions:
- Who owned the suspected vehicle?
- Was Coston the owner?
- Was the vehicle insured?
- Which insurer provided liability coverage?
- What were the bodily-injury limits?
- Did Coston have permission to drive it?
- Was he an insured driver under the policy?
- Does the insurer dispute coverage?
- Is any umbrella or additional liability insurance available?
- Would UM or UIM coverage still matter?
None of those insurance facts has been established in the public reporting reviewed for this article.
Identifying a suspected driver does not automatically mean sufficient liability insurance exists.
Could Uninsured Motorist Coverage Still Matter?
Potentially.
Kentucky’s uninsured-motorist statute generally requires qualifying automobile liability policies issued in Kentucky to provide UM coverage unless the named insured rejects it in writing.
Even after a driver is identified, UM issues can sometimes remain relevant.
Kentucky’s statute includes certain circumstances in which liability coverage applicable to a vehicle is unavailable or denied, subject to the policy and the law.
That means the investigation should not stop with merely asking whether someone produced an insurance card.
Relevant questions can include:
- Was the policy actually in force?
- Did it cover this vehicle?
- Did it cover this driver?
- Is the insurer accepting or denying coverage?
- Was UM coverage available under another applicable policy?
Those answers require the actual insurance contracts and coverage positions.
What About Underinsured Motorist Coverage?
UIM coverage can become important when a responsible driver’s available liability insurance is not enough to cover the legally recoverable damages.
Kentucky regulates underinsured-motorist coverage through KRS 304.39-320.
Whether UIM coverage could matter here depends on facts that remain unknown, including:
- Liability policy limits on the suspected vehicle
- Policies under which Martin qualified as an insured
- Whether UIM coverage was purchased
- Coverage limits
- Applicable policy language
A fatal crash should therefore prompt a complete insurance investigation rather than an assumption that the driver’s automobile policy is the only possible coverage.
Can There Be a Kentucky Wrongful-Death Claim?
Kentucky law provides for a wrongful-death action when a person’s death results from the negligence or wrongful act of another.
Under KRS 411.130, the action is generally prosecuted by the deceased person’s personal representative.
Whether a viable wrongful-death claim exists in this case depends on the evidence establishing civil responsibility for Martin’s death.
The criminal charges do not automatically establish the elements of a civil wrongful-death case.
Likewise, a civil claim does not require the criminal prosecution to reach a conviction first.
The two proceedings answer different legal questions and use different legal standards.
A Criminal Case and a Civil Wrongful-Death Case Are Separate
Coston pleaded not guilty on September 16.
A judge set bond at $100,000, and his next reported court appearance in the hit-and-run case is September 24.
The criminal prosecution concerns whether the Commonwealth can prove the charged offenses beyond a reasonable doubt.
A civil claim would separately examine issues such as:
- Negligence
- Causation
- Damages
- Insurance
- Comparative fault
- Potential responsibility of other legally responsible parties
A criminal acquittal, dismissal or plea does not automatically decide every civil issue.
Similarly, families do not ordinarily need to wait for an entire criminal prosecution to end before preserving evidence relevant to a potential civil claim.
Why Preserving Evidence Is Still Urgent After an Arrest
An arrest does not mean the evidence-preservation problem is over.
Investigators may still need to preserve:
- The suspected vehicle
- EDR or other electronic vehicle data
- Vehicle photographs
- Damaged parts
- Surveillance recordings
- ALPR records
- Crash-scene evidence
- Cellphone evidence obtained through lawful process
- Repair or tow records
- Insurance records
- Witness recollections
Private surveillance remains especially time-sensitive because recordings may be automatically overwritten.
The police investigation may have sufficient evidence for criminal purposes while a civil investigation still requires additional documentation concerning liability, damages and insurance.
What If the Vehicle Was Owned by Someone Else?
The public information currently available does not establish ownership of the suspected vehicle.
Ownership matters because it can affect:
- Insurance
- Permission to use the vehicle
- Policy exclusions
- Potential claims against an owner
- Whether the vehicle was being used for another person or business
The mere fact that another person owns a vehicle does not automatically make that owner civilly responsible for everything a driver does.
The relationship between the driver, owner and vehicle must be investigated.
What to Do After a Fatal Hit-and-Run in Kentucky
When a family member is killed in a crash where a driver allegedly leaves:
- Preserve police and reconstruction information. Obtain available collision records and track investigative updates.
- Identify surveillance quickly. Nearby video may be deleted even after an arrest has occurred.
- Preserve the suspected vehicle. Physical damage and electronic information may be essential to reconstruction.
- Identify the vehicle owner. Driver and owner may not necessarily be the same person.
- Obtain the liability policy. Confirm coverage instead of assuming an arrest means insurance exists.
- Review household automobile policies. UM or UIM coverage may still matter depending on liability insurance and policy terms.
- Preserve coroner and medical documentation.
- Document funeral and financial losses.
- Keep criminal and civil investigations distinct. Criminal charges can provide important evidence, but civil liability requires its own analysis.
- Continue preserving evidence even after an arrest. Identification of a suspect is an important development, not the end of the investigation.
Evidence to Save
Evidence that may matter after the September 13 East High Street fatal hit-and-run now includes:
- Lexington Police collision report
- Collision Reconstruction Unit records
- Crash-scene photographs
- Scene measurements
- 911 and dispatch records
- Witness statements
- Automatic license-plate-reader records
- Business surveillance
- Residential surveillance
- Doorbell cameras
- Dash-camera recordings
- Vehicle debris
- Broken automotive components
- Part numbers
- Paint or material transfer
- Photographs of the suspected vehicle
- Vehicle damage measurements
- Vehicle VIN
- Vehicle ownership records
- Tow and impound records
- EDR or other vehicle data where available
- Records relating to movement or storage of the vehicle
- Arrest citation
- Criminal court records
- Liability insurance policy
- Coverage correspondence
- UM coverage
- UIM coverage
- Coroner records
- Death certificate
- Funeral expenses
- Employment and income documentation
- Other evidence of legally recoverable damages
The fact that police have located a vehicle makes preservation of that vehicle and its physical condition particularly important.
FAQs
Who was killed in the East High Street hit-and-run?
The Fayette County Coroner identified the victim as Chance Lee Martin, 19, of Crescent Springs.
The coroner reported that Martin died from multiple blunt-force traumatic injuries caused by the pedestrian-involved motor-vehicle collision.
Has someone been arrested?
Yes.
Lexington Police arrested Riley Coston, 21, in connection with the investigation.
What charges does he face?
Police reported charges of:
- Leaving the scene of an accident / failure to render aid involving death or serious physical injury
- Tampering with physical evidence
Those charges are allegations and have not been proven.
Has Coston entered a plea?
Yes.
He pleaded not guilty on September 16. A judge set bond at $100,000.
When is his next court date?
WKYT reported that Coston is scheduled to return to court in the Martin case on September 24, 2026.
How did police identify the suspected vehicle?
Lexington Police said investigators used automatic license-plate readers to identify a potential suspect vehicle and combined that lead with evidence from the collision scene.
Where was the vehicle found?
Police said the suspected vehicle was located in Scott County on September 14.
What is the allegation involving the farm?
According to the arrest citation, police allege Coston drove the visibly damaged vehicle to a secluded farm to conceal it and later moved it again.
That allegation is part of the pending criminal case and has not been proven.
What does tampering with physical evidence mean in Kentucky?
KRS 524.100 generally prohibits intentionally destroying, concealing, removing or altering physical evidence in specified circumstances when an official proceeding is pending or may occur.
It is a Class D felony.
Was there a crosswalk where Martin was struck?
Initial reporting said there was no nearby marked crosswalk at the East High Street location.
That fact alone does not determine civil liability.
Does an arrest prove who was legally at fault for the death?
No.
An arrest and criminal charges are significant developments, but the allegations must still be proven. Civil negligence and wrongful-death liability are also separate legal questions.
Could insurance still be an issue now that police have identified a suspect?
Yes.
Investigators still need to determine vehicle ownership, whether liability insurance existed, whether it covers the driver and whether its limits are sufficient.
UM or UIM coverage may also potentially matter depending on the policies and coverage available.
Can the family pursue a wrongful-death claim before the criminal case is finished?
Potentially.
Kentucky’s wrongful-death statute creates a civil cause of action when death results from another person’s negligence or wrongful act. The criminal and civil proceedings are separate.
How Morrin Law Office Helps
Morrin Law Office helps Kentucky families investigate serious pedestrian crashes, hit-and-runs and wrongful-death cases.
This Lexington investigation demonstrates why an initial lack of a vehicle description does not necessarily mean a hit-and-run case will remain unsolved.
Evidence can develop quickly.
Our team can help investigate issues such as:
- Obtaining police and reconstruction records
- Preserving surveillance footage
- Reviewing ALPR and other available investigative evidence
- Preserving the suspected vehicle
- Requesting appropriate electronic vehicle data
- Documenting crash damage
- Identifying vehicle ownership
- Identifying liability insurance
- Reviewing disputed insurance coverage
- Evaluating UM and UIM policies
- Following criminal-case developments without confusing them with civil liability
- Preserving coroner and medical documentation
- Documenting funeral and financial losses
- Investigating Kentucky wrongful-death claims
Morrin Law Office offers free information and consultations for families with questions after serious Kentucky roadway crashes.
Sources
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- WKYT — One person dead following overnight hit-and-run in Lexington.
Read the initial WKYT report - WKYT — Fayette County Coroner identifies Chance Lee Martin as victim.
Read the victim identification update - FOX19 — Arrest made in connection with fatal Lexington hit-and-run.
Read the arrest and investigation update - WKYT — Suspect pleads not guilty; bond set at $100,000.
Read the court update - Kentucky General Assembly — KRS 189.580: Duties following a collision involving injury or death.
Read KRS 189.580 - Kentucky General Assembly — KRS 524.100: Tampering with physical evidence.
Read KRS 524.100 - Kentucky General Assembly — KRS 411.130: Wrongful death.
Read KRS 411.130 - Kentucky General Assembly — KRS 304.20-020: Uninsured motorist coverage.
Read KRS 304.20-020 - Kentucky General Assembly — KRS 304.39-320: Underinsured motorist coverage.
Read KRS 304.39-320
- WKYT — One person dead following overnight hit-and-run in Lexington.
Disclaimer
Updated September 17, 2026.
This article summarizes publicly available police statements, court reporting and general Kentucky legal and insurance principles. It is for educational purposes only, is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Riley Coston has been charged but has not been convicted. He pleaded not guilty. All allegations concerning his conduct—including allegations that he left the collision scene or attempted to conceal the involved vehicle—remain allegations unless proven in court.
This article does not make an independent determination that Coston caused the collision or is civilly liable for Martin’s death.
The complete collision reconstruction, vehicle speed, visibility, insurance coverage, vehicle ownership, electronic vehicle data, complete physical evidence, criminal-case outcome and final allocation of civil responsibility remain subject to investigation and proof.
Do not contact Chance Lee Martin’s family, witnesses or other people involved based on this article.
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