Driver arrested after 8 people hurt in crash east of downtown
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A person that police had said was dead “has been revived” and joined at least seven other people hurt after a car and an SUV crashed Tuesday afternoon at a street intersection east of downtown Indianapolis, police and rescue personnel say.
Officer Amanda Hibschman with Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said in a notification to the news media at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, “The individual believed to be deceased was transported to the hospital and due to the incredible life-saving efforts of the first responders at the scene and the medical personnel at the hospital, this individual has been revived and is currently in critical condition.”
An IMPD report shows Tramayne Duron Harris, 27, of Indianapolis, was preliminarily charged with three counts of DWI; two counts of reckless driving; and one count of criminal recklessness-aggressive driving.
Medics and IMPD officers were sent shortly before 3:35 p.m. Tuesday to the intersection of East New York Street and North State Avenue. That’s in an area with businesses and homes about three-quarters of a mile east of I-70/I-65.
A gray Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat car was traveling north on State Avenue, and a silver Ford Explorer SUV was going east on New York Street when they collided.
Jehan Harden was at a tire shop across the street from where the accident happened. “All of a sudden we just see a Hellcat come flying, and then we see the truck creep out trying to come across the intersection and he smokes ’em.”
Six children, all riding in the SUV, were among the eight injured.
“My first reaction was to help everyone get out of the car. So the people that did go to the car with me we grabbed the kids out of the car and made sure they were safe,” said Harden.
Indianapolis Fire Department said two children — their ages were not known — were taken in critical condition to Riley Hospital for Children, and another child, age 14, was taken to IU Health Methodist Hospital. Two additional children, ages 2 and 12, were stable when taken to Riley, and another additional child, 4, was stable when taken to Methodist Hospital.
The woman driving the SUV was stable when taken to Eskenazi Hospital, the fire department said. Also, the man driving the car was stable when taken to Methodist Hospital.
An IMPD report said the woman was 34, from Indianapolis. Children in the SUV were ages 2, 4, 8, 10, 12 and 14.
The intersection was closed for about four hours after the crash.
News 8 images from the crash scene showed the SUV had hit and damaged a stoplight pole.
