A Martinsville driver who had methamphetamine in his system at the time of a fatal accident will spend about three and a half years in prison.
Earl Jason Davis pleaded guilty on Sept. 19 to operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing death while using a scheduled 1 or 2 controlled substance, a level 5 felony.
Superior Court 2 Judge Peter Nugent sentenced Davis on Wednesday to three and a half years in prison, followed by a year and a half of probation, according to a news release from the Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office.
Nugent cited Davis’ prior criminal history, prior attempts at rehabilitation and failure to recognize the extent of his addiction at the time of the sentencing, the news release said.
Davis was also originally charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated, operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person and operating a vehicle with a scheduled 1 or 2 controlled substance or its metabolite in a person’s body, all misdemeanors. Those charges were merged into the felony charge, according to court documents.
The accident happened before 7 a.m. Oct. 9, 2018 in the 6000 block of W. State Road 44, north of Trafalgar and west of State Road 135. Bargersville resident Chad M. Kepner, 36, died in the accident.
Prosecutor Joe Villanueva handled the case and presented witness testimony from three witnesses as well as letters submitted by 25 other people. Each shared their admiration for Chad and how his loss was devastating to multiple groups. Davis testified and apologized to the Kepner family about what happened that morning, the news release said.
“Mr. Davis’ choice to consume meth and later drive a vehicle resulted in the most severe consequence imaginable, the loss of an innocent life. It is unfortunate that our current laws limit the exposure of people who commit these kinds of crimes to as little as they do,” Villanueva said. “While in a matter of a few years Earl Davis may be able to return to a normal life, the Kepner family will never have a normal life again.”
From an investigation into the crash and evidence on the roadway, Davis’ vehicle was left of the center line at the point of impact, according to the accident report.
Kepner died at the scene. Davis was taken to Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital, and submitted to a blood test, which is standard in a fatal or serious-injury crash.
The Indiana State Department of Toxicology tested the blood, and found methamphetamine and amphetamine in his system.
