Man arrested in hit-and-run accident involving state highway worker
By Sheryl Krieg
Tuesday, May 03, 2016 4:43 PM
A New Haven man has been arrested in connection with Monday’s hit-and-run accident that critically injured a state highway subcontractor who was working in a construction zone on Interstate 469, according to the Allen County Sheriff’s Department.
Roger A. Caley, 64, of New Haven was arrested following an interview with detectives following Monday’s accident. He is charged with failure to remain at the scene of an accident causing serious bodily injury, a Level 6 felony, and a misdemeanor count of leaving the scene of an accident.
Caley allegedly was driving eastbound on Interstate 469 when a state highway subcontractor was hit about 11:27 a.m. Monday at the 12.6 mile marker, just east of U.S. 27. Witnesses told police a red Ford pickup truck struck the worker and continued driving. All lanes of 469 were shut down between Marion Center Road and U.S. 27 until mid-afternoon. Officers located a red Ford pickup truck with heavy front-end damage consistent with the crash in New Haven. Caley was taken in for questioning. The victim was taken to a local hospital, where he remains in critical condition, according to the sheriff’s department.
According to a probable-cause affidavit, the victim was moving barrels in the construction zone along the north side of the eastbound lane. Another worker said she heard a loud noise and saw the victim go airborne over the concrete median wall into the westbound lane and ran to his aid.
A dump truck driver said he was traveling westbound on the interstate when the accident occurred and told police he saw a red Ford pickup truck parked just east of the 12.5 mile marker. He also saw the driver get out of the vehicle and check the damaged area, a driver’s side headlight. The driver said he saw the headlight and the parts around it were missing from the pickup truck. He looked back to see if the truck was still ont he scene but it had already left. Police found those parts at the scene of the crash.
Caley was stopped by police at Lincoln Highway and Indiana 930 in New Haven, where Caley told the officer he was on 469 at Lower Huntington Road and hit a construction barrel near U.S. 27. He said he stopped but didn’t see anything and he kept going, according to the affidavit. Caley was transported to the Allen County Lock-Up, where he submitted to a chemical blood test and was interviewed by police.
Caley said he was taking a lawn mower to Huntington to get fixed and was traveling on 469. He said he saw a woman worker and the state highway truck parked near the scene of the crash. Caley insisted he hit the construction barrel and a sign before pulling over to check his vehicle for damage. He said he saw the woman pick up the barrel he hit and he left the scene. The affidavit said a reflector on the concrete median belonging to the Indiana Department of Transportation was damaged along with the barrel belonging to Three Rivers Barricade, the subcontractor working at the construction site.
As the interview continued, Caley then said he saw “something” fly over the concrete median wall and then admitted to police he thought he hit a man who was working on the interstate, the affidavit said.
The victim was rushed to surgery after he arrived at the hospital. Surgeons had to reconnect the man’s aorta valve after it detached. The victim also is suffering from a lacerated spleen, a lacerated kidney, broken ribs and minor head injuries. It is unknown if the victim will be paralyzed as a result of this incident.
Caley remains in Allen County Lock-Up for a 72-hour hold.
