INDIANAPOLIS – An Indianapolis man was arrested after reportedly fleeing the scene of a crash that killed a four-year-old child and badly injured two adults on the near southeast side.
Alan Marcelo Salas-Garcia, 4, died last Wednesday night after being hit by a speeding Dodge Charger at the intersection of State Avenue and Raymond Street. He was riding in a trailer seat towed behind his father’s bike.
The child’s father was also badly injured.
A female driver of a grey Honda sustained a broken neck after being hit by the Charger as well. The police now assert Danny Wimbleduff, 22, jumped from the crashed Charger and fled on foot.
“You can never bring that life back, but it’s comforting to know that person will be held accountable,” said IMPD officer Tommy Thompson.
Wimbleduff was charged with reckless homicide, leaving the scene of an accident that resulted in death, leaving the scene of an accident causing catastrophic injuries, and leaving the scene of a significant bodily harm.
“I am deeply saddened by the death of Alan Marcelo Salas-Garcia, and my heartfelt condolences go out to his family, friends, and everyone who loved him. No arrest can bring back a life that was tragically cut short, and I know this is far from over. But I hope this move provides some comfort in knowing that the person responsible is no longer freely wandering our streets,” said Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Chief Chris Bailey.
On Wednesday, May 7, about 9 p.m., IMPD Southeast District officers were assigned to S. State Ave. and E. Raymond St. in response to a report of a personal injury accident. When law police arrived, they discovered a crash involving two vehicles and a biker carrying a bike trailer.
According to IMPD, officers learnt from witnesses that the suspect was driving a Dodge Charger and had fled the scene on foot. The officers combed the area but called off the search when the culprit could not be found.
According to court records, the registered owner of the suspect’s Charger claimed he had previously sold the vehicle to someone over Facebook.
Inside the automobile, officers discovered a box containing recently purchased brake parts. Police used those parts to help find Wimbleduff.
According to police, data obtained from the Charger suggests that the suspect was speeding at 80 mph when he blew a red light on Raymond.
That’s twice the posted speed. That is why IMPD agrees with the message on a modest impromptu memorial near the scene, which encourages vehicles to slow down and drive safely.
“You’re responsible for your actions. You need to remain on the scene. It is the law. “If you don’t, as we demonstrated here, we’ll find you,” Thompson stated.
This episode is one of the worst I’ve witnessed in my three years of doing this. “It’s so tragic,” said Eric Holt of Safe Streets Indianapolis.
Speaking about the unfortunate incident last week, public safety advocates such as Eric Holt urged drivers to take responsibility behind the wheel.
“Drivers have really kind of lost the plot,” Holt told me. “Driving is a privilege and it comes with a lot of responsibilities and one of those is if you’re involved in something like this, do the right thing and stop.”
“I want to thank the dedicated officers and detectives who worked day and night to identify this individual and bring him into custody,” Bailey told the crowd. “My thoughts remain with the other two victims and their families, whose lives have also been forever changed by this tragic incident.”
The fatal incident was the fourth fatal hit-and-run that IMPD has investigated this year. That figure is much lower than the 31 hit-and-run deaths recorded last year.
Wimbleduff has been placed on hold for seven days until the prosecutor’s office files official charges.
Reference: Police: Man arrested for hit-and-run that killed 4-year-old, critically injured 2
