Oshe Watkins Arrested;- A warrant has been issued for a man from Merrillville after he reportedly fled the scene of an accident in which a baby subsequently died.
According to court documents, the incident occurred on Interstate 65 southbound at the 113.9-mile marker in Indianapolis on August 3 at approximately 3 a.m.
The court documents indicate that the crash involved a 2008 Jeep SUV and a 2020 Chevrolet SUV.
The documents state that the Jeep was halted in the middle of the interstate for “unknown reasons” and was obstructing traffic when the Chevrolet collided with it.
Following the collision, police reported that the driver of the Jeep, later identified as Oshe Watkins, fled the scene on foot. Court documents reveal that the driver of the Chevrolet, a 27-year-old woman, was 8.5 months pregnant at the time of the incident.
As a consequence of the crash, the documents indicate that the woman’s “placenta erupted,” necessitating an emergency C-section and her transport via life-line to Riley Hospital. At Riley Hospital, the newborn baby was pronounced dead on August 5, just two days after birth.
According to court documents, officers spoke with a family member of Watkins who described him as a “troubled kid who abuses illegal drugs, prescriptions, and alcoholic beverages.”
The family member also informed police that Watkins causes “too much trouble” and is “disorderly.” In a police interview, documents state that Watkins initially denied any involvement in the crash.
He allegedly claimed to the police that he ran out of gas on the interstate, that his girlfriend picked him up to get gas, and that when he returned, his car was missing. Watkins purportedly told police that he had locked his car on the interstate and possessed the only key to it on his person.
Court documents indicate that he eventually confessed to driving his car at the time of the crash, that he was rear-ended, and confirmed that he left the scene on foot before being picked up by his girlfriend. Watkins allegedly did not provide a reason for his departure from the scene of the crash.
An arrest warrant has been issued for Watkins with the charges of failure to remain at the scene of an accident resulting in death, failure to remain at the scene of an accident resulting in catastrophic injury and failure to remain at the scene of an accident with moderate or serious bodily injury.
