Culver, INDIANA man faces reckless homicide
charges in Marshall Co., Indiana DEADLY crash
POSTED: 08:32 AM EST Dec 25, 2014
UPDATED: 08:33 AM EST Dec 25, 2014
A grand jury has indicted 54-year-old Jon McFarland of
Culver for reckless homicide charges in connection with a deadly crash in
Marshall County, Indiana.
It happened back in October.
Police say McFarland hit another car on US 31 near
Argos, pushing the car into a semi-truck.
Both of the people inside that car had to be airlifted
from the scene.
One of them – 25-year-old Benjamin Hutchins – died from
his injuries.
Here is the full release issued Wednesday by the
Marshall County Prosecutor's Office:
The Marshall County Prosecutor’s Office announced
today that the grand jury seated in Marshall Superior Court No. 1 met on
December 16 and 17, 2014 and returned an indictment for Reckless Homicide
against Jon A. McFarland, 54, of Culver. The indictment alleges “Jon A.
McFarland recklessly kill(ed) another human being, to wit: Benjamin Hutchins,
by recklessly transporting scrap materials in such a manner as to obstruct his
view as he operated his motor vehicle and failed to yield the right of way to
other traffic.” It is alleged this event took place on October 12, 2014.
An Indiana Officer’s Standard Crash Report for
October 12, 2014 alleges a motor vehicle crash occurred at the intersection of
US 31 and State Road 10 on the western edge of Argos, Indiana. The Report
alleges McFarland was traveling westbound on State Road 10 at approximately
9:00 p.m. when he struck a vehicle driven by Alexander Hutchins, 25, of
Portage, Indiana. Benjamin Hutchins, 25, was a passenger in Alexander’s
vehicle. It is alleged the force of the collision pushed the Hutchins vehicle
into the path of a semi-tractor trailer driven by Jose Jimenez Hernandez of
Martinsville. The truck hit the passenger side of the Hutchins vehicle and both
occupants were seriously injured and airlifted from the scene. It is alleged
that Benjamin Hutchins died from his injuries on October 13, 2014.
After the indictment was filed, Chief Deputy
Prosecuting Attorney Nelson Chipman requested the issuance of a warrant for
McFarland’s arrest. Marshall County Sheriff’s Deputy Jonathon Bryant arrested
McFarland on Monday and lodged him in the Marshall County Jail pending his
release on bond set in the amount of $1500. As of the date of this press
release, no court dates have been scheduled.
The Prosecutor’s Office strongly emphasizes that an
indictment is only an allegation and Mr. Good is presumed innocent unless
proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law before a judge or
jury of his peers.