Megan Baker, 26, Greenfield
HANCOCK COUNTY — A vehicle crash where an infant was injured after the driver reached speeds of nearly 100 mph back in September has resulted in five different charges being filed against the child’s mother.
Megan Noel Baker, 26, 900 block of Peppermint Court, Greenfield, was arrested Dec. 21 from an incident Sept. 16.
Baker has been charged with a Level 5 felony count of neglect of a dependent resulting in bodily injury, a Level 6 felony count of operating a vehicle while intoxicated — endangering a person less than 18 years, and three different misdemeanor intoxication and possession of marijuana charges.
Officials with the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department (HCSD) noted the arrest came three months after the initial incident due to pending toxicology results. Baker made an initial appearance in Hancock County Circuit Court on December 22. She was released the following day on a $2,000 cash bond and is scheduled to be back in court for a pretrial hearing January 25.
According to a probable cause affidavit, officials with the HCSD say Baker’s Honda showed a pre-crash speed of 97.6 mph. Investigators said based on training and experiences, it would be expected that a severe crash of this caliber would have caused fatalities of all occupants.
It was later determined that an infant child in the vehicle suffered a “brain bleed” caused by the crash. According to a probable cause affidavit, an infant was released from the hospital to her grandparents temporarily due to Baker’s parental rights being revoked. The child is now a ward of the state until determined otherwise, the report said.
According to the probable cause affidavit, an official from the HCSD was dispatched to vehicle/personal injury crash around 2:30 a.m. Sept. 16, 2023 at 10322 E U.S. 40, Charlottesville.
The deputy noted an inverted vehicle driven by Baker with injuries and entrapment including an infant female child. Officials noted the child, who appeared to be injured, was transported to Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis. Baker, officials noted in the probable cause affidavit, appeared to be intoxicated with slurred speech and glassy eyes.
Officials noted they could smell the odor of alcohol coming from Baker’s breath and located three open containers of “99 Brand” liquor shooters in Baker’s purse within the vehicle.
Officials also found in the front passenger side compartment of Baker’s vehicle one open, empty can of 12oz Coor’s Light Beer and two empty 1.5oz containers of 99 Brand Shooters. Officials also found 30mg capsules of Adderall that had been ejected near the vehicle.
Baker, who was not seriously injured in the crash, refused to submit to a chemical test in the form of a blood draw and demanded to contact her parents and a lawyer, officials said in the report. It was determined via a court ordered blood test that Baker had a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of .183 — more than twice the legal limit of .08, or severe impairment, at the time of the incident.
The crash, officials said, was “violent” with the vehicle going into a grassy center median, crashing into a road sign, a crossover embankment, another road sign, another crossover embankment, another road sign, before an end-over rollover, and then coming to rest inverted in the eastbound travel lane one of U.S. 40 facing westbound.
The debris field the deputy observed was 440 feet from where Baker’s vehicle left the roadway and came to rest. Officials stated in the report the vehicle which had reached speeds as high as 97.6 mph shortly before the crash was going 83.9 mph just before the crash event began.
