Original article no longer available
Indy Star
By Kevin O’Neal
September 19, 2003
Driver faces charges in Far-Southside crash that sent one car careening into house.
A woman died Thursday morning, a day after being injured in a crash reportedly caused by an intoxicated driver fleeing the scene of another accident. n County sheriff’s deputies have arrested the driver of the car they say caused the Far-Southside wrecks.
C. Alfano, 33, 1800 block of East 69th Street, faces preliminary charges of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and causing seriously bodily injury, and neglect of a dependent.
Deputies said the neglect charge arose because Alfano’s 9-year-old son was riding with her when the fatal crash happened.
She could face more serious charges because of the death of Spaeth, 24, lin. Spaeth died Thursday morning in Wishard Memorial Hospital of internal injuries.
Sheriff’s deputies described the sequence of events this way: About 5:40 p.m. Wednesday, the Oldsmobile driven by Alfano hit a pickup stopped for a red light at Keystone Avenue and Road.
When the Oldsmobile drove away, the truck driver followed the car. After driving through the neighborhood west of the first accident scene, Alfano sped away from the truck as she headed south on State Avenue. At State and Epler avenues, Alfano ran a stop sign and struck a Lincoln that was driving through the intersection. The collision sent both cars off the road, one of them into a house. Spaeth, a passenger in the Lincoln, died about 18 hours later. Her 2-year-old daughter, Madeline Delaney, was in the Lincoln’s rear seat. The driver of the Lincoln was identified as Ragon, 32, lin. Deputies said Ragon was Spaeth’s boyfriend, and the couple had just had a child together this year.
Ragon and Madeline also were injured in the crash, but their injuries were not life-threatening. Alfano and her son suffered only minor injuries.
After the crash, Alfano said she had had two beers and taken the anti-depressant drugs Paxil and Xanax that afternoon, investigators said.
Alfano is being held on $100,000 bond in the n County Lockup. She is scheduled to appear in court today.
Alfano was convicted of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated in Bartholomew County in January, deputies said.
Call Star reporter O’Neal at 1-317-444-2760