NEW PALESTINE — A New Palestine woman is in critical condition with severe injuries suffered when she apparently fell out of the back of a moving pickup truck, police said.
The driver of the pickup has been jailed on suspicion of drunken driving as the county prosecutor weighs formal charges.
According to the New Palestine Police Department, the incident happened early Sunday outside the Round the Corner Grill, 19 S. Bittner Road in New Palestine. From what police can gather so far, three friends — two men and a woman — left the bar around 2 a.m. Sunday morning. Witnesses said two of the people, later identified as Jennifer Sloan, 44, New Palestine; and Ryan Barker, 27, climbed into the back of a pickup being driven by the third person. The driver, Michael Scott Kavanaugh, 44, New Palestine, apparently took off too fast, causing Sloan and Barker to fall from back of the truck, New Palestine Police Chief Bob Ehle said.
“From what we know so far it looks like the male and the female were going to take a short ride,” Ehle said. “Sounds like the guy who was driving took off too quickly and threw them out of the back of the truck.”
Investigators don’t know whether Sloan and Barker were riding on the tailgate or were inside the bed of the truck. Ehle said investigators are seeking video footage of the incident from surveillance cameras at Round the Corner Grill but hadn’t received it as of Monday.
Barker was taken to Hancock Regional Hospital with minor injuries; Sloan was taken to IU Methodist Hospital and was listed Monday in critical condition. Ehle noted the last report they had on Sloan was that she was on a ventilator.
The only person facing possible charges at this time is Kavanaugh, who lives in the 400 block of South Creekside Drive in New Palestine. He was being held in the county jail without bond as of the Daily Reporter’s deadline on Monday, June 7, with charges under review, Prosecutor Brent Eaton said.
According to jail booking information, Kavanaugh is being held under the listing of a Level 5 felony of operating a vehicle while intoxicated-bodily injury; and a Class A misdemeanor of operating a vehicle while intoxicated-endangerment.
Officials with the prosecutor’s office have 48 hours to determine whether charges will be filed. Eaton said he did not anticipate filing charges before today (Tuesday, June 8).
