INDIANAPOLIS — A woman from Franklin pleaded not guilty to failure to stop and operating while intoxicated charges after she allegedly hit a 13-year-old girl with her Jeep in June.
On June 26, a teenage girl named Hope was getting on a school bus near Washington Street and Kitley Avenue, just east of Irvington.
An IMPD officer was stopped for the bus's stop arm when he saw a black Jeep Wrangler ignore the stop arm and hit the teen as she tried to cross to the bus.
The 13-year-old was hit so hard, her shoes fell off. She was taken to the intensive care unit at Riley Hospital for Children. She had multiple broken bones in her legs and forearm, and had damage to her kidney and spleen.
"We are grateful for the outpouring of support for our daughter, Hope," read a statement from the family. "She is in stable condition and has a long road to recovery ahead of her. We have no doubt she will be back on her feet soon."
Hope's family is asking for privacy to focus on her recovery.
"As an avid basketball player and junior chef, we know she is eager to get back to doing what she loves," the family said.
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The driver, 31-year-old Melanie Mudd of Franklin, stayed at the scene.
Surveillance video from a nearby business shows the school bus' stop arm extended and the lights flashing as the door opens. Ten seconds later, the Jeep drives into the intersection.
Police took Mudd in for a blood draw, which found THC, fentanyl and norfentanyl in her system.
On Aug. 5, Mudd was formally charged with failure to stop and OWI.
At an initial hearing on Aug. 9, Mudd's license was suspended. Her bond was set at $50,000 and she pled not guilty..
She is expected back in court Oct. 1.
Mudd was previously convicted for OWI in February 2019 in Johnson County.
Dangerous intersection
Hope is not the first person hurt at this intersection.
"So this is the third incident at this specific intersection," said Eric Holt, of Indy Pedestrian Safety Crisis, which has been tracking pedestrian and cycling incidents for the last couple years.
Data shows someone was hit and killed in November 2022. Another person was struck and injured in April 2023.
"It's heartbreaking to see and gut-wrenching to continue to see these come in," Holt said.
According to Holt, nearly 10% of all incidents tracked in the city happen on Washington Street.
"We've tracked 371 incidents so far this year, and 39 of them have come along Washington Street. Last year, it was 684 incidents, with 68 being on Washington Street," Holt said.
(NOTE: The video at the top of this story is from shortly after Hope was hit in June of 2024.)