Investigators are working to determine who was behind the wheel of the BMW involved in the deadly crash that killed a 26-year-old Washington University Ph.D. student.
Kennedy Reed was killed after the luxury vehicle crashed into her Mazda Aug. 4 in St. Louis’ Kingsway East neighborhood.
However, the owner of the BMW 330i claims she wasn’t driving at the time of the collision and has voluntarily submitted a DNA sample to investigators, according to her attorney. He also refuses to name the driver, leaving justice in limbo for the victim’s family.
The attorney says the DNA evidence will help prove his client’s innocence.
According to investigators, a BMW 330i was traveling westbound on Martin Luther King Drive around 7:20 p.m. when the driver failed to stop at a stop sign and collided with a Mazda 6 traveling northbound.
Reed was taken to a hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. Three people in the BMW were also hospitalized with various injuries, according to police. The driver sustained minor injuries. However, police have not publicly confirmed the identity of the person who was actually driving the BMW.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department has confirmed that the investigation remains ongoing. No arrests have been made.
BMW Owner Claims Innocence
On Thursday, attorney David Rosener accompanied his client to the police department, where she provided a DNA sample after investigators requested one.
“Today, we took our client, the owner of a BMW that was involved in an accident up at Martin Luther King and Euclid on the Fourth of August,” Rosener told First Alert 4. “She was requested to submit to a DNA sample. We readily supplied it because my client was not driving that vehicle.”
Rosener said he knows who was behind the wheel but has not yet identified that person. Authorities confirmed the driver was still at the scene when officers arrived.
“I know who was driving, but at this point I need to do my due diligence and make sure that it’s a prudent move to go forward and let the authorities know who was driving,” Rosener said.
The DNA results have not been publicly released.
Chaotic Scene Followed Deadly Crash
Videos posted by witnesses on Facebook showed a chaotic scene following the collision.
In one video, a woman who appeared to be among the people detained at the scene is seen yelling at bystanders and attempting to throw punches at one person.
The bystander appears to strike her before she falls, and officers subsequently pull her away and restrain her.
It remains unclear whether the woman shown in the video is Rosener’s client.
One witness, Charlie Looch, said he remained with Reed at the scene while they waited for first responders.
“She did not transition here from earth alone; myself along with numerous others in the community stayed right there with her until they transferred her to the hospital,” he wrote on Facebook.
Reed Had a Promising Future
At the time of her death, Reed was entering her fourth year as a Ph.D. candidate at Washington University School of Medicine, studying molecular microbiology and microbial pathogenesis. She began her doctoral studies in 2023.
Reed was remembered by her university community as a dedicated scientist, mentor, and friend.
According to WashU, Reed’s research focused on how microbes contribute to the progression of skin cancer. Her work examined how certain bacteria can increase tumor aggressiveness and metastatic potential.
Before attending Washington University, Reed earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry with a concentration in biochemistry from Alcorn State University in Mississippi.
She later completed a post-baccalaureate research program at Vanderbilt University.
Reed was also deeply involved in mentorship. She participated in programs supporting undergraduate students interested in research careers and was active in the Association of Black Biomedical Graduate Students.
Reed and her former professor and mentor, Dr. Melanie McReynolds, also co-founded the Alcorn Research Connection, a mentorship pipeline designed to help undergraduate students pursue careers in science.
Legacy That Lives On
Washington University has established the Kennedy Reed Memorial Summer Program Scholarship in her honor.
The scholarship will support two undergraduate students from Alcorn State University who participate in Washington University’s summer research program, continuing Reed’s commitment to helping young scientists.
McReynolds said Reed’s impact will continue through the students who receive those opportunities.
“So her memory will live on and its impact,” McReynolds said. “Everything she did had impact.”
Reed’s mother, Portia Reed, described her daughter as her “best friend” and “one and only child” in a Facebook post following the crash.
“My best friend, my one and only child was taken from me by a drunk driver traveling at a extremely high rate of speed,” she wrote.
Police, however, have not publicly confirmed that alcohol or excessive speed were factors in the crash. The investigation remains ongoing.
Atlanta Black Star reached out to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and Rosener for additional information.
