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 resident finds himself behind bars after authorities allege he attempted to escape a collision scene with the other driver precariously hanging onto his car’s hood.
Patrick Lee Ryan, aged 38, is now facing multiple felony charges linked to a purported hit-and-run incident that unfolded at an Evansville intersection on a Sunday afternoon. According to a probable cause affidavit accessed by Law&Crime, Ryan supposedly rear-ended another vehicle at the junction of N. Kentucky Avenue and E. Diamond Avenue around 3:30 p.m. When the victim exited his car to assess the damage, he detected something amiss with Ryan, who had also stepped out of his vehicle.
As detailed in the affidavit, the victim attempted to photograph the damage but realized his phone was missing. This moment, police claim, was when Ryan seized the chance to re-enter his car. The victim noted that Ryan appeared unsteady, needing to brace himself and even bumping into his own vehicle as he tried to get back inside.
Once in the driver’s seat, Ryan allegedly ignited the engine and began to move, inadvertently striking the other driver. Following this encounter, Ryan allegedly tried to flee. The victim recounted how he ran to Ryan’s driver’s side window, attempting to get his attention, and even positioned himself in front of the car to compel Ryan to halt.
According to police, Ryan resumed driving, causing the victim to land on the vehicle’s hood as he sped away. Ryan eventually stopped after covering a short distance, allowing the victim to dismount safely. Fortunately, the victim was unharmed in both reported collisions.
The affidavit reveals that multiple eyewitnesses contacted law enforcement, reporting a driver, identified as Ryan, erratically maneuvering his car on the road before and after the alleged hit-and-run. When authorities apprehended Ryan and conducted a traffic stop, the officer detected an alcohol odor. Upon questioning, Ryan admitted to consuming “two beers.” He was subsequently arrested and taken to a nearby hospital parking area for a sobriety test, where he declined to cooperate with further questioning.
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.
