Background: The intersection of N. Kentucky Avenue and E. Diamond Avenue in Evansville, Ind. (Google Maps). Inset: Patrick Lee Ryan (Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office).
An Indiana man is in jail after police say he drunkenly hit another driver then tried to flee the scene with the other driver clinging to the hood of his car.
Patrick Lee Ryan, 38, faces several felony charges in connection with an alleged hit-and-run incident that took place at an intersection in Evansville on Sunday. According to a probable cause affidavit reviewed by Law&Crime, Ryan allegedly rear-ended another driver near the intersection of N. Kentucky Avenue and E. Diamond Avenue at around 3:30 p.m. When the other driver got out of the car to inspect the damage, Ryan got out of his car, and the other driver immediately noticed that "something was not right" about him.
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According to the affidavit, the other driver went to take pictures of the damage but realized he did not have his phone on him. At that point, police said Ryan allegedly took the opportunity to return to his vehicle. The other driver told police that he saw Ryan "needed to hold onto his vehicle and bumped into his vehicle trying to get back into it."
Once Ryan was back behind the wheel, the other driver said Ryan started the ignition and allegedly started to drive away, "bump[ing]" the other driver in the process. After the alleged collision, Ryan allegedly tried to flee from the scene. The other driver said he attempted to get Ryan's attention by running up to his driver's side window. He then told police that he "got in front" of Ryan's vehicle to tell him to stop.
Police said Ryan "started driving again," and the other driver "ended up on the hood" of Ryan's vehicle as he drove away. Ryan reportedly stopped after a short distance, which allowed the other driver to get off the hood of his car. The other driver was not injured during either of the two alleged collisions.
The affidavit stated that several witnesses called police to report a driver, later identified as Ryan, "swerving all over the road" before and after the alleged hit-and-run. When police finally caught up to Ryan and pulled him over, the officer said he smelled of alcohol. He was asked if he had been drinking, and he responded, "I had two beers." Ryan was placed under arrest and brought to a hospital parking lot for a field sobriety test. He told police he would not answer questions.
Police said that during the sobriety test, Ryan told officers, "I am not going to pass this."
After being medically cleared at the hospital, Ryan was free to be booked into jail.
Ryan was charged with criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon, battery with a deadly weapon, leaving the scene of a crash, and operating a vehicle while intoxicated. He is in custody at the Vanderburgh County Jail, where he is being held without bond.