The Indiana State Police on Wednesday announced the driver of the Oldsmobile that crashed causing injury to four persons and killing his front seat passenger while attempting to elude police Tuesday is still recovering from injuries he suffered in Eskenazi Hospital.
Further investigation of this case has revealed that the driver of the Oldsmobile, Mark Padgett, 37, of Indianapolis, was involved in a heroin, possibly laced with the deadly drug Fentanyl, drug transaction in the area of 25th Street and Post Road. The transaction had been under surveillance by ISP personnel and a trooper in the immediate area attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Padgett in the area of 16th and Post Road for a traffic violation. Padgett fled from police for 4 minutes, while throwing articles out of the vehicle, ultimately crashing at Brookville Road and Arlington Avenue.
Padgett has preliminary been booked into the Marion County Arrestee Processing Center in Eskenzi on the following charges. Final charges will be determined by the Marion County Prosecutors Office.
1. Resisting Law Enforcement resulting in death, Level 3
2. Reckless Homicide, Level 5
3. Failure to return to Lawful Detention, Level 6
The preliminary results of the autopsy on Michael Ramsey, 32, of Indianapolis, by the Marion County Corners Office indicates the cause of death as multiple blunt force trauma. The full and complete autopsy report will not be available for several weeks.
At 7:16 p.m. Tuesday, a trooper assigned to the Indianapolis District attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a 1999 Oldsmobile sedan traveling on East 16th Street at North Post Road for a traffic violation.
The driver of the vehicle, later identified as Padgett refused to stop for the trooper’s emergency lights and siren and fled. The four minute pursuit traveled to Brookville Road and Arlington Avenue where the Oldsmobile struck a 2013 BMW. The Oldsmobile continued and struck a 2005 GMC pickup. After striking the pickup, the Oldsmobile caught fire and was extinguished by emergency personnel on the scene. Of the four people in the pickup truck, two suffered non-life threatening injuries and were transported to Methodist Hospital for treatment.
The driver and the passenger in the BMW were transported to Eskenazi Hospital with serious non-life threatening injuries.
Padgett was transported to Eskenazi Hospital with broken bones in his right leg. The front seat passenger in the Oldsmobile was extracted and transported to Methodist Hospital where he was later pronounced deceased. The cause of death will be determined by an autopsy.
During the investigation of the crash, Padgett was found to have an outstanding theft warrant.