PLAINFIELD, Ind. — A Plainfield police officer has resigned following the conclusion of the internal investigation into a chase of a suspect that ended in a deadly crash of an uninvolved couple.
The Avon Police Department led the criminal investigation into the crash that happened around 5:45 p.m. Aug. 30 at the intersection of U.S. 40 and Smith Road in Plainfield, killing 78-year-old Barbara Williams and 79-year-old Bennie Joe Williams, of Clayton, Indiana.
The Plainfield Police Department conducted a separate interview review to determine in departmental policies and procedures were followed during the incident.
"We understand that this has been a challenging and emotional time for our community, and we deeply appreciate your patience and trust throughout this process,” Plainfield Chief of Police Kyle Prewitt said in a news release. "It is imperative that we preserve the integrity of our investigations and uphold the values of our department. Our commitment remains to be a police department that our community can be proud of."
(NOTE: 13News is not naming the officer involved in the crash because criminal charges have not been filed against him.)
The incident started around 5:30 p.m. Aug. 30 on a report of a person down at a Long John Silver's restaurant in Plainfield. Police said the suspect, later identified as 38-year-old Bryan Goodmon, of Fillmore, Indiana, was possibly impaired as he was sitting in a car at the restaurant.
When a Plainfield officer approached Goodmon, he drove away and nearly hit the officer with his car. The officer pursued the vehicle onto U.S. 40, resulting in a brief chase that ended in a crash with an uninvolved vehicle.
According to the couple's obituary, the Williamses leave behind four children, 17 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
A report by Avon police says the Plainfield officer chasing Goodmon was going 100 mph seconds before the crash.
According to the report, the officer slammed on the brakes 2.5 seconds before impact but still hit the driver's side of the car going almost 60 miles an hour.
According to the police report, "emergency vehicles will outrun their sirens at approximately 55 mph, so it is likely that (the Williamses) did not hear (the officer's) sirens."
The report also says that as the Plainfield officer approached the intersection, the traffic light was red for him and the Williamses had a green arrow for their turn. Some intersections are equipped to change when they detect police sirens. That intersection did not have that equipment.
"Emergency vehicles must still drive with due regard even with lights and sirens activated," the report says. "(The officer) was traveling at a high rate of speed and did not proceed with due regard through the intersection."
The Avon officer investigating says that the Williamses likely didn't see the Plainfield cruiser until they were already in the intersection.
On Sept. 4, Goodmon was charged with resisting law enforcement causing death. He was taken into custody 17 days after the crash.
He is being held in the Hendricks County Jail. His trial is scheduled for Nov. 26.
