Judge Scott Sirk of the Hancock County Circuit Court will oversee the case
HANCOCK COUNTY — An Indianapolis man accused of alcohol-related crimes which caused injuries to others two years ago in a car crash is now facing the charges against him. The case was opened in Hancock County Circuit Court late last week.
Ronnie M. Tice, 46, 5200 block of Plainfield Avenue, is facing two Level 5 felony counts of causing serious bodily injury when operating a motor vehicle with an ACE of .08, a Class A misdemeanor charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated-endangerment, a Class A misdemeanor charge of alcohol concentration equivalent to .15 or more and a Class C infraction of not having a valid driver’s license stemming from an incident on Dec. 3, 2021.
According to court records, a probable cause affidavit was filed Sept. 28 in Circuit Court where Judge Scott Sirk issued a warrant for Tice’s arrest and ordered Tice to be held without bond pending an initial hearing, which has yet to be set. Tice was not in custody by print deadline.
Prosecutor Brent Eaton noted the case took longer than usual to get filed due to details of the investigation taking longer than anticipated. Eaton stated some of the information gathered associated with the the case was beyond his office’s control.
According to a probable cause affidavit, officials from the Indiana State Police were called to an injury accident Dec. 3, 2021 on I-70 westbound near mile marker 111. The trooper observed a male later identified by a Florida driver’s license as Tice and two vehicles heavily damaged by a crash.
An official from the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department arrived on scene, the affidavit said, and noticed the smell of alcohol coming from Tice, who told officials he had three beers and a shot in New Castle earlier that evening before getting on the interstate.
The vehicle hit by Tice had an adult male driver and two juvenile girls in it as well as an adult woman, the affidavit stated. The woman was transported to Methodist Hospital for medical treatment while one of the girls was transported to Riley for medical treatment. The driver, officials noted in the affidavit, later sought medical treatment as well.
The affidavit stated officials conducted a standardized field sobriety test on Tice, and he failed. Tice then refused to do a portable breath test, nor would he submit to a chemical test, the report stated. Officials took Tice to Hancock Regional Hospital for a blood draw after securing a warrant and also because he complained of an ankle injury.
Officials noted in the report the vehicle with the four people was hit by Tice, causing both cars to spin out. Witnesses told officials the vehicle Tice was in sped past them at a high rate of speed and then crashed shortly after. Another witness confirmed the vehicle Tice was in was passing cars at a rate of at least 100 mph shortly before the crash.
The blood test confirmed what officials suspected, Tice’s blood sample contained .181 grams of ethanol per 100 ml of blood, the affidavit said.
The woman injured in the accident was diagnosed with a lumbar transverse process fracture while one of the girls suffered a laceration on her left thumb and an abrasion to her right clavicle. The other girl suffered loose front teeth and a laceration to her lip. It was also reported that she lost consciousness on the scene of the crash and vomited.
