9-year-old killed, 5-year-old injured by semi driver who was allegedly violating federal regulations

INDIANAPOLIS — A nine-year-old boy is dead and a five-year old girl is hurt after a crash along 465 on Indy’s south side.

Traffic cameras along 465 recorded the deadly aftermath of a tragic crash near U.S. 31 during rush hour on Thursday.

State police said a semi driver in a construction zone failed to slow down for traffic which had backed up just before 5:30 p.m.

That driver hit three vehicles and another semi, killing nine-year-old Eamon Goodrich, who was sitting in the back seat of one of those cars.

The driver of that car was also critically injured. A five-year-old girl was in the car as well and was transported to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

It turns out, the driver who caused the collision should not have been behind the wheel. While the semi driver has not yet been arrested, local legal experts said criminal charges are still possible in this case.

State police claimed drugs and alcohol were not a factor, but excessive speed did play a role. The semi driver had also allegedly gone over his allotted hours of service.

“Being over on hours, you can be cited, just like for speeding,” said attorney Mario Massillamany.

Attorney Massillamany isn’t connected to the case.

He says failure to comply with Federal Motor Carrier Regulations by itself isn’t a criminal offense, but combined with excessive speed in a construction zone, it could contribute to a possible reckless homicide charge.

“They wouldn’t just use being over on your hours as the sole factor for filing reckless homicide, but it could be one of multiple factors for charging someone with reckless homicide,” said Massillamany.

Regardless of whether the tragic case ends up in court, the federal regulations are designed to keep everyone safe on the road and should not have been ignored.

“You don’t want someone driving a semi that is tired or sleepy and isn’t able to react to traffic. These federal regulations are put in place to protect them and other citizens on the road,” said Massillamany.

The circumstances of the crash are still under investigation. Ultimately, it will be up to the Marion County prosecutor’s office whether or not to file charges in the case.

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