An East Bernstadt, Kentucky, woman faces multiple charges after police say she disabled a 91-year-old man’s vehicle, leaving him stranded in a roadway during extreme heat last Thursday afternoon.

Incident Details

Laurel County Sheriff John Root reported that the incident occurred around 1:16 PM on July 2, 2026. Deputies responded to a call off Littontown Road, roughly four miles north of London, after receiving a dispatch from the London Laurel County 9-1-1 Communications Center.

According to sheriff’s deputies, a passerby had to call 9-1-1 after finding the elderly victim stuck in his inoperable vehicle in the middle of the road. At the time of the rescue, the heat index in the area had reached 101 degrees.

The victim told responding deputies that Nikki Reed Hoskins, 37, pulled the keys out of his ignition and walked back to her home, leaving him trapped in the sweltering heat. The man stated she abandoned him “because he wouldn’t buy her cigarettes.”

Arrest and Charges

Deputies tracked Hoskins to her nearby residence, confirming she lived there and that active warrants were out for her arrest. When she refused multiple commands to step outside, deputies forced entry into the home.

They located Hoskins hiding in a bedroom. Before deputies could secure her in handcuffs, she allegedly struck a deputy. Following her arrest, deputies noted that Hoskins displayed glassy, bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, and was unsteady on her feet. Authorities determined she was operating under the influence.

Hoskins was booked into the Laurel County Correctional Center and faces charges of first-degree wanton endangerment, theft by unlawful taking, third-degree assault of a police officer, and menacing.

Original reporting: Tampa Free Press — read the source article.