A tow truck driver convicted of three felonies in the aftermath of a multi-vehicle accident resulting in the death of a Brown County man and severely injuring his fiancee last year was sentenced to 13 years in prison and two years of probation to be served with Community Corrections after his prison sentence.
Bartholomew Circuit Court Judge Kelly Benjamin sentenced Ruel Pedigo III, 50, of 1085 Jonesville Road, on Friday to four years in prison for felony reckless homicide resulting in death and nine years in prison for causing a death while operating a motor vehicle under the influence of a controlled substance, to be served consecutively.
He received two years in prison for causing serious injury while under the influence of a controlled substance, but that was suspended, to be served as probation with Bartholomew County Community Corrections when he is released from the Indiana Department of Corrections.
Pedigo was convicted by a jury of being under the influence of methamphetamine and possibly marijuana on the night of Jan. 27, 2018 when a chain-reaction accident occurred on Jonathan Moore Pike.
Pedigo’s tow truck smashed into the back of a Mazda 3 car driven by former Columbus resident Patrick N. Bowman, 35, of Brown County, who was killed, and causing serious injuries to his fiancee Sarah Fliehman. Bowman graduated from Columbus North High School in 2001.
Six eastbound vehicles were stopped at a red light when the tow truck hit Bowman’s car from behind, leading to a chain-reaction accident on Jonathan Moore Pike near the light at Circle K and Starbucks.
For more on this story, see Saturday’s Republic.
