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35-year-old man found guilty after high-speed, fatal crash on Keystone Avenue

Man convicted for role in fatal crash

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A jury on Thursday found a 35-year-old Indianapolis man guilty for his role in a fatal crash and on several drug charges, the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office says.

Warren Morris, 67, died in the crash that happened just before 10 p.m. July 7 near the intersection of East 32nd Street and North Keystone Avenue.

The prosecutor’s office says in a news release that an Indianapolis police officer saw a truck driven by Rodney Spells driving erratically and at a high rate of speed in the area of East 38th Street and North Keystone Avenue. The officer began a pursuit for reckless driving.

Shortly thereafter, the officer saw the truck driving at speeds of over 100 mph cross the centerline and crash into two vehicles head-on in the 3200 block of North Keystone Avenue.

Data secured later from Spells’ truck showed it was going 104 mph just 3 seconds before the crash, and that the truck was travelling at 74 mph less than 1 second before the crash. The posted speed limit in the area was 35 mph.

Spells fled the crash on foot.

Officers later located him with multiple baggies and a large amount of cash. Inside his truck, officers found what the prosecutor’s office called evidence consistent with dealing narcotics. That evidence included more baggies, fentanyl, methamphetamine, a scale, and multiple cellphones.

Rodney Spells was found guilty of these felonies: dealing in a narcotic drug; resisting law enforcement; leaving the scene of an accident; possession of a narcotic drug; causing death when operating a vehicle while intoxicated; leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death; reckless homicide; possession of methamphetamine; and possession of narcotic drug. He also was found guilty of a misdeamenor charge of resisting law enforcement.

Magistrate Matthew Symons set Spells’ sentencing hearing was set for 9 a.m. Dec. 14 in Marion Superior Court 29, online records show.

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