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Rural Bloomfield Man Faces Road Death Charges

Last updated on Thursday, April 19, 2012

(BLOOMFIELD) - A rural Bloomfield man, allegedly under the influence of meth, faces a felony charge involved with the Feb. 15 death of a 25-year-old woman in a traffic crash on State Road 45 in eastern Greene County.

Nick Schneider, of the Greene County Daily World, reported that on Monday, 31-year-old Jason M. Hays was arrested on preliminary charges of causing death while operating a motor vehicle with a Schedule I or II controlled substance in body - a class B felony as well as possession of marijuana - a class A misdemeanor.

Hays is being held without bond in the Greene County Jail in connection with an unrelated case where he's facing three methamphetamine dealing and possession charges after a March 30 arrest.

In that case, he's set for a Sept. 4 jury trial.

An initial hearing on the latest charges has not been scheduled in Greene Circuit Court.
Savannah Allen died of massive head trauma when Hays' vehicle allegedly crossed the center line and hit her vehicle head-on, according to court records.

Allen was driving her 1998 Chevrolet Lumina westbound on State Road 445 when a 2008 Jeep Cherokee, driven by Hays, crossed the center line.

Greene County Coroner Sherry Wilson pronounced Allen dead at the scene.

The wreck occurred about 1,800 feet west of the S.R. 445 and 45 intersection.

The force of the impact caused Allen's vehicle to spin, go off the embankment on the north side, overturn, and come to a rest on the driver's side leaning up against a couple of small trees.

After impact, Hays' vehicle went off "the south side of the roadway and stopped along the edge of the road," according to a probable cause affidavit filed Greene County Sheriff's Department Det. Chris McDonald.

The Event Date Recorder (E.D.R.) for Hays' vehicle, obtained by a search warrant and analyzed at the State Police Lab in Evansville, showed he was traveling at 60 mph and never applied his brakes at the time of the crash.

According to witness counts, Hays allegedly initially refused medical treatment at the scene because he was busy removing a variety of bags from his "totaled" Jeep.

Hays was also allegedly observed placing an item in some leaves near the Jeep, which was later found to be a wooden spoon that contained methamphetamine residue, according to the probable cause affidavit.

Hays refused to submit to a state required chemical test for intoxication at the scene, even after advised by GCSD Deputy Brad Deckard that his driver's license would be suspended for one year because of the refusal.

He also refused medical treatment at the scene after his mother and step-father, Connie and Donald Baker, told police that they were going to take him to IU Health Bloomington Hospital for treatment.

Police checked and found that Hays was never examined at the Bloomington-based hospital or any other hospitals in the area.

Blood samples taken from Hays' Jeep were sent to the lab for examination. Police also located several "homemade" plastic capsules that contained methamphetamine and a hand-rolled cigarette that contained marijuana in the vehicle.

Police continued to search for Hays in Greene and area counties in order to obtain a blood sample for DNA analysis.

He was arrested March 30 on preliminary charges of two counts of dealing/manufacturing methamphetamine, class B felonies; possession of methamphetamine, a class D felony; and possession of a schedule IV controlled substance, a class D felony.

Hays allegedly met with a confidential informant at the end of March to exchange methamphetamine for pseudoephedrine pills - used in the manufacturing of methamphetamine.

After his arrest, the DNA sample was obtained.

On April 13, a report from AIT Laboratories was received by the sheriff's department that documented that the blood sample retrieved from Hays' leather Jeep seat showed he was the driver and that the blood contained methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, according to the probable cause affidavit.

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