77-year-old killed when drag racer crashes into her at 120 mph, Kentucky cops say

A man drag racing at 120 mph crashed into another vehicle, killing a 77-year-old passenger, according to Kentucky authorities.

Yusnier Pacheco Bernal, 42, is now charged with murder, among other charges, following the Friday, Oct. 25, crash on Bardstown Road in Louisville, court records show.

Bernal was driving a 2020 Ford Mustang and drag racing the driver of a BMW, the Louisville Metro Police Department said.

Witnesses reported they were “traveling at a high rate of speed” before Bernal struck an SUV carrying two people, police said.

A passenger in the RAV4, identified by police as as 77-year-old Myrtle Wacker, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the criminal complaint.

Police said the 75-year-old driver of the RAV4 “sustained serious injuries” and was hospitalized.

The event data recorder in Bernal’s Mustang showed he was driving at 119.6 mph when he made impact with the other vehicle, according to the complaint.

Bernal was charged with murder, second-degree assault, first-degree wanton endangerment, speeding and operating a motor vehicle with an expired license, court records show.

He was jailed on a $250,000 bond, according to the court records.

This story was originally published October 28, 2024 at 12:04 PM with the headline "77-year-old killed when drag racer crashes into her at 120 mph, Kentucky cops say."