UPDATED: Head-on crash on Ind. 46 in Bloomington causes car fire, injures 2

Boris Ladwig, The Herald-Times
·2 min read
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A head-on crash in northwest Bloomington Thursday evening seriously injured two drivers.
A head-on crash in northwest Bloomington Thursday evening seriously injured two drivers.

UPDATED: This post was updated with patient information and details from the probable cause affidavit.

A head-on crash on Ind. 46 in northwest Bloomington late Thursday resulted in a car fire and trapped and seriously injured two drivers, one of whom was flown by helicopter to an Indianapolis hospital.

David Garcia, 23, was heading east on Ind. 46 at 95 mph at 10:57 p.m. when Monroe County Sheriff’s Deputy Trent Walls turned on his siren to pull over the driver, according to a report from the sheriff’s office.

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About a minute later, Garcia lost control of his car near Curry Pike, crossed the grass median and crashed head-on into a westbound car, according to the report.

Garcia’s car immediately caught fire; Walls rescued Garcia from the car. The other driver, Kami Barker, also was trapped in her vehicle. Deputy Payton Windsor arrived on scene and removed her from the vehicle, getting her away from the flames.

Garcia had serious internal injuries, was taken to IU Health Bloomington Hospital and transferred into intensive care. Garcia was in stable condition Friday afternoon.

Barker suffered “severe traumatic injuries to her legs and lost consciousness shortly after the crash,” according to the report. She was flown to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. A hospital official said Friday afternoon that she was not allowed to provide the patient's status.

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According to the sheriff’s department, Walls filed a probable cause affidavit for Garcia’s arrest on three charges, including two felonies: resisting law enforcement resulting in serious bodily injury and operating while intoxicated resulting in serious bodily injury.

According to the affidavit, a preliminary test indicated that Garcia's blood alcohol level was 0.294%, or more than three times the legal limit. Walls wrote in the document that Garcia was not arrested because of his injuries and his level of intoxication, as he remained under hospital staff care.

Ind. 46 was closed during the investigation. Bloomington and Ellettsville Police departments assisted.

Boris Ladwig can be reached at bladwig@heraldt.com.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Head-on crash on Ind. 46 in Bloomington causes car fire, injures 2