1:20 p.m. UPDATE: A jury of seven men and five women have been selected as the jury for the Ruel Pedigo III trial in Bartholomew Circuit Court. Opening arguments in the case are expected this afternoon.
For coverage, please see Wednesday’s Republic.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Six jurors have been seated so far in the jury trial of Ruel Pedigo III, 50, of 1085 Jonesville Road, charged in Bartholomew Circuit Court with three felonies in the aftermath of the Jan. 27, 2018 multi-vehicle accident that claimed the life of Patrick N. Bowman, 35, of Brown County.
Bartholomew County Deputy Prosecutor Lindsey Kay and defense attorney John Razumich are asking the more than 50 prospective jurors called about their thoughts and feelings about driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Pedigo is accused of operating a vehicle with a controlled substance in the blood, a Level 4 felony; reckless homicide, a Level 5 felony; and causing serious bodily injury when operating a motor vehicle with a controlled substance in the blood, a Level 6 felony, court records state.
The charges stem from a multi-vehicle accident at 7:40 p.m. Jan. 27, 2018, in the eastbound lanes of Jonathan Moore Pike near Johnson Boulevard, involving as many as six vehicles.
Investigators said Pedigo was driving a Ford F650 tow truck with a vehicle on the flatbed when he rear-ended a Mazda 3 car driven by Bowman, who died in the accident. A number of collisions occurred among vehicles in front of the Mazda after the tow truck hit it, accident reconstructionists said in court documents.
Bowman was a 2001 graduate of Columbus North High School. Bowman’s passenger and fiancee Sarah Fliehman suffered head injuries and was hospitalized after the accident.
For more on this story, see Wednesday’s Republic.
