On Thursday morning a fatal crash investigation by Indiana State Police Trooper A.J. Coffee has resulted in the arrest of Weston James, 45, Marion, IN. James was served a Grant Circuit Court arrest warrant when he turned himself in to officers at the Grant County Jail. The warrant alleged five felony charges for causing death when operating a motor vehicle with an ACE of .08 or more, two counts for causing serious bodily injury when operating a vehicle with an ACE of .08 or more, operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person with a passenger less than 18 years of age, and neglect of a dependent resulting in bodily injury. James also faces an infraction for driving left of center. The charges stem from a two vehicle crash which occurred on November 22, 2017, in which a Marion, IN man died.
The crash investigation revealed that James was driving a 2004 Cadillac SRX westbound on Kem Road near Troy Avenue in Marion, IN. For an undetermined reason, the Cadillac crossed the center line and crashed into an eastbound 1998 Ford Explorer which was driven by James Bartrum, 61. Marion, IN.
Bartrum died from injuries sustained in the crash. James and his three-year-old son, a back seat passenger in the Cadillac, were flown via medical helicopter, to a Ft Wayne hospital. James suffered injuries to his lower legs. His three year old son suffered a facial fracture. A 13-year-old boy, also a passenger in the Cadillac, sustained a bruised lung and a laceration to his face.
Further investigation revealed, at the time of the crash, James allegedly had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level of .11. This is over the .08 BAC limit in which a driver is considered intoxicated in Indiana.