NOTE: FOX59/CBS4 has requested a mugshot for Melanie Mudd. As of this article’s publication, it has not been provided.
INDIANAPOLIS — Court documents filed against a Franklin woman claim she was high on fentanyl when she crashed her Jeep into a 13-year-old girl boarding a school bus, knocking the summer school student “out of her shoes,” and causing broken bones and internal bleeding.
Melanie Mudd, 31, was charged Monday in Marion County Court with OWI causing serious bodily injury and illegally passing a stopped school bus – both felonies. A warrant has been issued for Mudd and Indy police are now actively looking to arrest her.
The charges against Mudd stem from a crash in late June on the east side of Indianapolis where a 13-year-old student was hit by a Jeep while trying to board a bus for summer school. The student spent more than a week in the hospital with internal bleeding and various bone breaks.
IMPD crews were called around 7:15 a.m. to the N. Kitley Ave./E. Washington St. intersection for a crash involving a school bus. An IMPD officer who witnessed the crash said the driver of a Jeep had disregarded the bus’ stop arm and hit a young girl boarding the bus.
Court docs show that the driver of the black 2011 Jeep Wrangler – later identified as Mudd – had hit the child with such speed that she was “propelled out of her shoes onto the roadway.” Police said Mudd then stopped her car and remained on scene.
Officers spoke with Mudd, who said she “began to slow after going through the intersection but clipped the pedestrian.” Police also noted that Mudd had “an odor of alcohol” on her breath.
Court docs show Mudd initially refused to take a chemical test for impairment but did tell officers there was drug paraphernalia in her car, claiming “it wasn’t hers.” She was then taken to Eskenazi Hospital for a blood draw and police interview.
Police said that Mudd showed no further signs of impairment while at the hospital and that her PBT result was .000. After being given a legal blood draw around 9:30 a.m., Mudd was released from custody and taken to a relative’s house.
While investigating the crash further, police learned that the victim had been taken to the Riley Children’s Hospital intensive care unit for her injuries. The child reportedly suffered a broken forearm, multiple broken bones in both legs and kidney and spleen bleeding. After a week of dealing with surgeries and eating issues, the child was released.
Police reviewed surveillance footage from businesses close to the crash site, which reportedly showed that the school bus had had its stop arm out and doors open for over 10 seconds before Mudd crashed into the victim. Lights were flashing on the bus the entire time, court docs show.
Once Mudd’s blood draw results came back, police learned that while she was not drunk during the crash she may have been intoxicated in another way. Toxicology reports on Mudd’s blood reportedly showed positive findings for both Delta-9 THC (marijuana) and fentanyl.
Furthermore, a check of Mudd’s previous criminal record shows that she had a 2019 conviction in Johnson County for operating while intoxicated. Court records show she was high on narcotics during that case and was sentenced to 381 days in prison.
Online criminal records show Mudd has a long history of traffic violations in Johnson County and Franklin City courts. Previous charges include OWIs, distracted driving, narcotics possession, taking property by using force, speeding, trespassing and more.
