MITCHELL — A Mitchell man has been arrested and charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated and leaving the scene of an accident after an early morning incident on October 5, that damaged two vehicles.
The Mitchell Police Department officers detained 45-year-old Guy Dixon.
According to the affidavit filed by Officer Cody Grogan, police were dispatched around 11:30 a.m. on October 5 to a report of an accident in which the vehicle involved left the scene and involved multiple people in the 500 block of West Frank Street.
At the scene, Officer Grogan spoke with two victims, who stated that a gray 2016 Kia Sportage was struck while parked on 6th Street the night before or early that morning. The Kia sustained significant damage to the front driver’s side, with the impact so forceful it pushed the entire vehicle several feet backward onto the grass, rendering it undrivable. White paint transfer from the offending vehicle was noted on the damaged area.
Next, the officer spoke with another resident, whose 1985 Chevrolet K10 pickup truck had minor scratches on the bumper. More critically, tire tracks led directly from the Kia through this victim’s yard and into his driveway, where the truck was parked. Two small pieces of clear plastic, later identified as consistent with a missing headlight on the suspect vehicle, were recovered near the Kia.
Officer Grogan followed the tire tracks leading west down an alleyway from 6th Street. Near 8th Street, the officer located a white 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee parked in the rear of the First Baptist Church property. The vehicle had damage to the front right, which was consistent with the damage on the Kia Sportage. The passenger side of the Jeep also bore scratch marks consistent with the height and path of the damage to the Chevrolet K10 truck’s bumper.
Inside the Jeep, the officer noted blood on the steering wheel, console, and door panel, as well as an envelope and a sealed package addressed to Guy Dixon.
A search of the Jeep’s license plate revealed it belonged to a different vehicle registered to Dixon, who admitted later to having swapped the plates after purchasing the Jeep a week prior.
Later that afternoon, Officer Grogan and Deputy Gus Hogan located Dixon at his residence. The report notes that Dixon had apparent injuries to his left eye, nose, and chin.
Dixon initially claimed the Jeep had gone missing while he was at the bar and that he had left the key inside. He attributed his facial injuries to a fight with a bartender. When asked what happened with the vehicle, Dixon stated he received a ride home after the bar.
Further investigation revealed camera footage showing an altercation between two males at approximately 2:44 a.m. on October 5. The video shows the male in a blue shirt, later identified as Dixon by the bar owner, being struck in the face. After the fight, Dixon is seen entering the white Jeep Grand Cherokee and driving west on Main Street, immediately turning south onto 6th Street—the direction of the hit-and-run crash site.
Dixon was taken into custody shortly after. He submitted to a preliminary breathalyzer test, which returned a result of .04. Dixon stated he last consumed alcohol around 2:00 a.m.
While being transported to IU Health Bedford for medical clearance for his injuries, Officer Grogan read Dixon his Miranda Rights. At the hospital, Dixon stated he had consumed approximately twelve Bud Lights. When the officer suggested that after getting into the fight, he got into his vehicle, drove into something, parked it, and had someone pick him up, Dixon replied, “pretty much.” He identified the bar as the Railroad Bar on West Main Street in Mitchell.
Dixon was medically cleared and transported to the Lawrence County Jail..
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This article is based on the information provided in the Probable Cause Affidavit and does not represent a final determination of guilt or innocence.
