Vanderburgh County deputies have filed an OWI causing serious bodily injury charge in connection with an August rear-end crash on US 41 at Waterworks Road in the Evansville area, according to 14 News (WFIE)[1]. A child was among the people injured. This report is based on a single outlet, and the case is ongoing.
What happened
According to 14 News, the crash happened at about 1 p.m. on Sunday, August 16, 2026, at US 41 and Waterworks Road. A witness told investigators that the driver of a passenger vehicle struck the back of a pickup truck that was at a standstill, without braking. The driver suffered a large leg laceration, and a child suffered facial lacerations.
14 News reports that blood tests on the driver were positive for gabapentin, aminoclonazepam, and methadone. The Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office charged the driver with OWI causing serious bodily injury and neglect. The outlet also reports that the same driver was stopped again on Thursday, October 1, 2026, at Diamond Avenue and Mesker Park Drive and was charged with OWI and possession of a controlled substance.
These are charges, not convictions. The driver has not been tried and is presumed innocent.
What should accident victims do next?
Impaired driving is not limited to alcohol. Prescription and other drugs can slow reaction time and judgment. If you or your child was hurt in a crash, get appropriate medical care and keep copies of the records and bills.
Request the crash report from the investigating agency, photograph injuries as they heal, and preserve insurance correspondence. You can review guidance on obtaining an Indiana crash report and preserving evidence for a car accident claim. If criminal charges are pending, the prosecutor's office can often explain the case schedule to people who were hurt.
Why location matters in Indiana injury claims
The crash occurred at US 41 and Waterworks Road in the Evansville area, in Vanderburgh County. The Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office is the investigating agency. Its crash report can be an important record, but a police report does not determine civil liability.
Most Indiana personal injury claims must be filed within two years under Indiana Code 34-11-2-4[2]. For a person under a legal disability, including a minor, Indiana Code 34-11-6-1[3] can affect when that period begins. Under Indiana Code 34-51-2-6[4], an injured person's recovery is reduced by that person's percentage of fault and is barred when that fault is greater than 50 percent. A plain-language discussion of that rule is available in the firm's guide to Indiana's comparative-fault law.
Indiana's minimum auto liability coverage is $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $25,000 for property damage, under Indiana Code 9-25-4-5[5]. Insurers must offer uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage under Indiana Code 27-7-5-2[6]. Depending on the policies and losses involved, that coverage may matter when liability insurance is not enough.
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. The firm can review the crash records, insurance policies, medical documentation, and deadlines, while dealing with insurers that may aggressively defend a claim. You can learn more from the firm's car accident attorney page or request a free case evaluation. No outcome can be promised in any case.
This post is based on public reporting, the investigation and court case may be ongoing, and nothing here is legal advice or creates an attorney-client relationship.
