A 32 year old Georgetown man appeared in Floyd Superior Court on Monday, August 31, 2026, on charges arising from the Saturday, August 29 crash at U.S. Highway 150 and Lawrence Banet Road in Floyd County that killed a 23 year old woman. WAVE reported[1] that investigators say he was speeding and ran a light before striking her car.
WAVE reported that he was arraigned on dealing methamphetamine, reckless homicide, criminal recklessness, unlawfully carrying a handgun, and a habitual offender enhancement. He pleaded not guilty, bond was set at 1 million dollars, and his next court date is September 28, 2026. These are allegations and have not been proven.
WAVE also reported that the arraignment fell nine years to the day after the same man pleaded guilty to causing the death of an infant while driving under the influence in 2016, and that he served six years in prison for that offense. In a separate report about the earlier case[2], WAVE covered the parents' response after they learned he had been charged again.
The Floyd County Sheriff's Office is investigating, and the investigation is ongoing.
What accident victims should do next
A habitual offender enhancement is a criminal sentencing tool. For a family considering a civil claim, it can also point to an existing public record of prior convictions. It may indicate that the criminal case will be lengthy and hotly contested because the potential consequences are substantial.
Indiana permits punitive damages in limited circumstances. They require clear and convincing evidence of conduct beyond ordinary carelessness. A prior conviction involving similar conduct may be relevant, but it does not decide civil responsibility or establish that punitive damages will be available. You can read more about punitive damages in Indiana personal injury cases.
The practical steps remain time sensitive. Obtain the crash report from the Floyd County Sheriff's Office and the probable cause affidavit from the court file. The affidavit may identify witness accounts, video references, or investigative observations. Preserve the vehicles and their event data before either vehicle is released or sent to salvage. The firm's guide explains how passenger-vehicle event data may be preserved.
An estate must be opened because an Indiana wrongful death action must be brought by the personal representative. The family should also identify every potentially applicable insurance policy, including uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. A wrongful death attorney can help organize those steps while the criminal investigation continues.
Reporting about this crash has been inconsistent concerning the direction of travel. At least one figure circulating about a road improvement project does not appear in a verified source. Families should rely on the crash report and court file instead of details repeated through aggregated coverage.
Why location matters in Indiana injury claims
The crash occurred at U.S. Highway 150 and Lawrence Banet Road in Floyd County, near Floyds Knobs and New Albany. The Floyd County Sheriff's Office is investigating. A civil case would ordinarily be venued in Floyd County, where the criminal prosecution is also proceeding.
U.S. 150 is a federal route maintained by the State, while Lawrence Banet Road is a local road. If a signal, sign, or intersection design issue were raised, different government entities and deadlines could apply. The Indiana Tort Claims Act requires notice within 270 days for the State under IC 34-13-3-6[3] and within 180 days for a political subdivision under IC 34-13-3-8[4]. Both deadlines arrive before the general limitations period. Nothing in the published reporting supports a road design theory here, and the reported conduct concerns speed and running a light.
Indiana applies modified comparative fault under IC 34-51-2-6[5]. A claimant's recovery is reduced by that claimant's share of fault and barred entirely when the claimant is more than 50 percent at fault. An investigation, not a news report or criminal charge alone, must establish the facts used in a civil fault analysis. More information is available in this explanation of Indiana's 51 percent fault rule.
The general deadline to file an Indiana personal injury or wrongful death claim is two years under IC 34-11-2-4[6]. Indiana's wrongful death statutes include IC 34-23-1-1[7] for an adult with dependents and IC 34-23-1-2[8] for an adult without dependents. The applicable statute affects the categories and limits of recoverable damages.
Indiana's minimum liability limits under IC 9-25-4-5[9] are 25,000 dollars per person, 50,000 dollars per accident for bodily injury, and 25,000 dollars for property damage. When available liability coverage is insufficient, uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage under IC 27-7-5-2[10] may matter. That makes a careful review of the deceased person's policy and potentially applicable household policies an important early step.
How Delventhal Law Office can help
Delventhal Law Office, LLC is a Fort Wayne personal injury law firm founded by attorney Chad E. Delventhal in 2009. For a family affected by a fatal crash in Floyd County or elsewhere in Indiana, the firm can obtain public crash and court records, send timely evidence-preservation requests, explain how a criminal prosecution and civil claim proceed alongside each other, and examine available insurance coverage.
Insurance companies may aggressively defend fault, causation, and coverage questions. Delventhal Law Office can give your family a calm explanation of the available options and the deadlines that may apply. You may request a free case evaluation if you want to ask questions about a potential claim.
This post is based on public reporting, the investigation may be ongoing, and nothing here is legal advice or creates an attorney-client relationship.
