The investigation into the death of a 35-year-old woman following an incident with a Louisville Metro garbage truck is still ongoing, according to city officials.
The Louisville Metro Police Department reported that officers were first summoned to the area of Muhammad Ali Boulevard and 26th Street at around nine in the morning on Thursday due to reports of a person down. EMS took the woman to the hospital as police were on their way, where she subsequently passed away from her wounds.
An attorney representing the family identified her as Tyrah Adams.
How Adams died in the accident
Police said Adams sustained fatal injuries after coming into contact with equipment on a garbage truck during routine alley cleanup in the 2500 block of Cedar Street. A spokesperson for Louisville Metro Public Works said the incident occurred as part of regular operations, which take place hundreds of times each day.
Adams was among the trash that crews picked up in an alley on Tuesday, according to preliminary information provided by Craig Greenberg. Officials think Adams left the immediate area after the trash was placed down, and the truck subsequently placed it somewhere else before taking it away. She subsequently passed away from incident-related injuries.
“At this time we have no evidence that there was any wrongdoing associated with this tragic loss of life in our city,” Greenberg said, while emphasizing that the investigation remains active.
According to Stephanie Rivas, the family’s lawyer, Adams was homeless and was known to be in the alley where she was discovered. Although the legal team has been given permission to examine the truck in question, Rivas stated that they still don’t have a lot of information and called the city’s actions “very questionable and concerning.”
In accordance with standard procedure, the department verified that workers engaged in the cleanup had been placed on administrative leave while the investigation was conducted.
LMPD’s Public Integrity Unit is leading the death investigation. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact police at 502-574-LMPD (5673) or submit tips anonymously online.
This article appears in Feb 14-28, 2026.