Fatal Anderson Car Crash Death of John E. Lewellen and Karol K. Lewellen – Obituary
A devastating car crash in Anderson claimed the lives of John E. Lewellen, 74, and his wife, Karol K. Lewellen, 68, following a high-speed police pursuit originating in Pendleton. The local coroner has confirmed their deaths resulted from blunt force trauma.
The tragic incident unfolded when their vehicle was struck by a pickup truck, driven by 35-year-old Brandon Edward Teague of Anderson. Teague was attempting to evade law enforcement officers in pursuit using a Pendleton police cruiser.
Teague now finds himself in police custody with a substantial bond of $400,000, facing a multitude of serious charges. These include two counts of resisting law enforcement leading to fatalities, two counts of reckless homicide, three counts of resisting arrest resulting in bodily harm, one count of resisting arrest resulting in serious bodily injury, and the charge of being a serious violent felon in possession of a firearm. If found guilty on all counts, he could be sentenced to a maximum of 85 years in prison.
The Anderson Police Department’s public information officer, Caleb McKnight, disclosed that they were alerted to the pursuit by Madison County Dispatch, which had commenced in Pendleton at 11:54 a.m. on a fateful Sunday. Anderson police weren’t directly involved in the chase but responded to the scene after being informed of the crash.
The investigation into this tragic event is ongoing, with no additional information available at this time.
Following an autopsy performed on Tuesday, Madison County Coroner Adam Matson revealed that both John and Karol Lewellen succumbed to blunt force trauma.
On the day of the incident, Teague was fleeing Pendleton police, who had received reports that he was driving with a suspended license and was a serious violent felon carrying a firearm. He recklessly accelerated to speeds nearing 100 miles per hour, blatantly ignoring a red light at the intersection in Anderson, ultimately leading to the catastrophic three-vehicle collision.
According to the Anderson police, Teague’s GMC collided with the Buick Enclave transporting the Lewellens, traveling north on Jackson Street. The Buick then careened into a Jeep, which was stationary at a red light, facing west on 19th Street. The Buick’s path ultimately led it to collide with a corner of the Peyton Manning Children’s Clinic building on the premises of Ascension St. Vincent Anderson Hospital, where it came to a halt.
Remarkably, the entire pursuit transpired in less than six minutes, commencing at 11:54 a.m. and concluding by noon.
Teague, who suffered minor injuries, complied with authorities’ commands to exit the GMC with his hands raised and was subsequently placed in handcuffs. Inside the GMC, a 9mm Ruger handgun was discovered.
In the Jeep, four of the six occupants sustained serious injuries, with two of them having been identified by law enforcement. Africca Mack, the Jeep’s driver, suffered a possible broken ankle and intracranial bleeding, necessitating transportation to an Indianapolis hospital for medical care. Debra Stith, a front-seat passenger, reported pain in the leg and hip area.
The two juveniles seated in the Jeep’s back received treatment as well. One, born in 2008, complained of shoulder pain, while the other, born in 2014, displayed cuts and head bruising. The remaining two backseat passengers in the Jeep did not require medical attention.