Indianapolis, IN – Indiana State Police are investigating a serious crash with multiple fatalities near 10th Street and Mitthoeffer Road in Indianapolis. The crash happened minutes after troopers terminated a vehicle pursuit that involved the driver who caused the crash.
At approximately 9:37 p.m. an Indiana State Trooper attempted to pull over a Dodge Challenger for reckless driving near East Washington Street and Mitthoeffer Road. The driver refused to stop and a pursuit continued for approximately 12 minutes, routing on several city streets while heading east out of Indianapolis and into rural areas of Hancock County. Several officers from ISP and other agencies were trying to get into position to deploy stop sticks, however they were unable to get into position. At 9:50 p.m. the troopers who were involved made the decision to terminate the pursuit based on several factors. Those factors include the aggressive and reckless driving by the suspect and the suspect had turned around and was leaving a rural, low populated area, and driving back toward Indianapolis. Upon termination of the pursuit, all involved officers deactivated their emergency lights and sirens and disengaged, leaving the area in the opposite direction of the suspect vehicle.
At 9:55 p.m. Indiana State Police Dispatchers overheard a radio transmission from the Indianapolis Fire Department about a serious crash near Mithoeffer Road and 10th Street. Due to the recent pursuit in the area, troopers responded to the area. Upon arrival, the first trooper gave information about three critically injured, unresponsive people. He found two heavily damaged vehicles, one of which appeared to be the Dodge Challenger from the earlier pursuit. Emergency personnel arrived on scene and transported one critically injured adult female to an area hospital, despite life saving efforts, she was later pronounced deceased at the hospital. Inside the Dodge Challenger were three people, all heavily entrapped in the wreckage. Two of the three inside were unresponsive to verbal communication. The Indianapolis Fire Department worked hastily to extricate the entrapped occupants. Two of the three people inside the Dodge Challenger were transported by ambulance, they were later pronounced deceased at the hospital. The driver of the Dodge suffered only minor injuries.
Indiana State Police Crash Reconstructionists, along with Detectives, responded to the scene to conduct the investigation. Preliminary investigation determined the driver of the Dodge Challenger failed to stop at a red light at the intersection of 10th Street and Mitthoeffer Road and was traveling at an extremely high speed. The Dodge struck another vehicle in the intersection. The driver of that vehicle was the female who died at the hospital. There were no other occupants inside the second vehicle.
Probable cause was established to arrest the driver of the Dodge Challenger. His identity is being withheld until proper notification is made to the families of the deceased. The driver now faces the preliminary charge of resisting law enforcement causing death, a Level 2 Felony.
This investigation is ongoing and there is no further information to release. All suspects are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
The Indiana State Police was assisted by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Indianapolis Fire Department, Indianapolis Emergency Medical Service, Marion County Coroner’s Office and the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office.
