An Indiana man is in jail after police claim he drunkenly slammed another driver and attempted to flee the scene, leaving the other driver clinging to the bonnet of his car.
Patrick Lee Ryan, 38, is facing many felony counts in connection with an alleged hit-and-run that occurred at an Evansville junction on Sunday. According to a probable cause document reviewed by Law&Crime, Ryan reportedly rear-ended another car near the junction of N. Kentucky Avenue and E. Diamond Avenue at approximately 3:30 p.m. When the other driver got out of his car to inspect the damage, Ryan did the same, and the other motorist instantly saw that “something was not right” about him.
According to the affidavit, the other driver attempted to photograph the damage but discovered he did not have his phone with him. According to investigators, Ryan allegedly took advantage of the opportunity to return to his vehicle. The other driver told police that he noticed Ryan “needed to hold onto his vehicle and bumped into it trying to get back into it.”
When Ryan got back behind the wheel, the other motorist claimed Ryan started the ignition and began driving away, “bump[ing]” the other driver in the process. Following the alleged collision, Ryan allegedly attempted to flee the scene. The other driver stated that he tried to catch 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 and told him to stop.
According to police, Ryan “started driving again,” and the other motorist “ended up on the hood” of Ryan’s vehicle as he drove away. Ryan reportedly came to a halt after a short distance, allowing the other motorist to jump off his car’s hood. The other driver sustained no injuries in either of the two claimed crashes.
According to the affidavit, many witnesses called police to describe seeing a driver, later identified as Ryan, “swerving all over the road” before and after the suspected hit-and-run. When police finally caught up with Ryan and pulled him over, the officer reported that he smelled of alcohol. When asked if he’d been drinking, he said, “I had two beers.” Ryan was arrested and taken to a hospital parking lot to undergo a field sobriety test. He told officers he would not answer any questions.
Ryan reportedly told authorities during the sobriety test, “I am not going to pass this.”
Ryan was released from the hospital after receiving medical clearance to be lodged into jail.
Ryan was charged with criminal negligence with a deadly weapon, battery with a deadly weapon, fleeing the scene of a crash, and driving while intoxicated. He is currently detained at the Vanderburgh County Jail and held without bond.
