INDIANAPOLIS — Jessica Griffin, of Carmel, is charged with DUI after a crash Sunday evening that killed a man and injured a 2-year-old boy on the south side of Indianapolis.
Bryce Horner, 23, died Tuesday, Sept. 10 from catastrophic injuries suffered during the crash, which happened around 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 8 in the 6900 block of South Tibbs Avenue, near West Southport Road.
Police say a GMC pickup hit a Mercedes Benz head-on while going through the S-turn on Tibbs Avenue.
IFD had to cut Horner out of the Mercedes and rushed him to the hospital in critical condition. The 2-year-old boy who was with him was taken to Riley Hospital and is expected to survive.
Witnesses told police the driver of the pickup had been going 100 miles an hour on I-69 before taking the exit toward Tibbs Avenue. According to data pulled from the truck, it was going almost 50 mph half-a-second before the crash. The speed limit in the area is 35 mph.
The mother of the 2-year-old was following in a separate car. She told police she saw Griffin climb out of the truck. Griffin had to go over the passenger seat because the driver's side door was damaged in the crash. A man, who said he was a passenger in the car, was already out. The mother says he swore at her when she asked what happened. She said Griffin walked to the driver's side of the truck and urinated herself.
Police say they smelled alcohol on Griffin when she spoke with them and that her eyes were bloodshot. Both Griffin and the man allegedly told police the other was driving. But police noted the driver's seat was very close to the wheel, as if the driver was shorter. The man was almost 6 feet tall and Griffin is just over 5 feet tall.
Griffin then allegedly changed her story, telling police she didn't know who was driving and couldn't see the man because she didn't have her glasses. She allegedly told police she'd met the man at a bar but couldn't remember the name of the bar.
Due to the conflicting stories, IMPD took both Griffin and the man to a local hospital for a blood draw, under suspicion of driving while intoxicated. According to court documents, Griffin's blood alcohol content was 0.26, which is more than three times the legal limit.
Due to the witness testimony and the position of the driver's seat, police determined Griffin was the driver.
Griffin was arrested for causing catastrophic injury when operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, causing catastrophic injury when operating a motor vehicle with an ACE of .08 and causing serious bodily injury when operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
Horner died Sept. 10 from his injuries, after charges were filed against Griffin.
The Marion County Prosecutor's Office says they will be reviewing the case for potential new charges.
