Full Notification

Wabash County – Today at approximately 11:30 a.m., officers from the Indiana State Police arrested Emilee Bowyer, 27, Wabash, IN. Troopers served Bowyer with a Wabash Circuit Court arrest warrant alleging two counts of reckless homicide, two counts for operating a vehicle while intoxicated resulting in death, and two counts for operating a vehicle while intoxicated resulting in serious bodily injury. Bowyer was taken into custody without incident at her Wabash County home.

On March 19, 2016, at approximately 10:00 p.m., officers from the Indiana State Police and the Wabash County Sheriff’s Department responded to a two vehicle crash on State Road 15 near Wabash County Road 900 South, in which two Grant County women died.

The crash investigation by Trooper Michael Biggs and Trooper Jeremy Perez revealed that Bowyer was driving a 2006 Toyota SUV northbound on State Road 15. For an undetermined reason, the Toyota traveled left of the center line and struck, head-on, a southbound 2015 Lexus SUV.  The Lexus was driven by Phillip Stephenson, 70, Marion, IN.

Bruce Dryer, 70, Fairmont, IN, a front seat passenger in the Lexus, and Phillip Stephenson were flown from the crash scene, via medical helicopter, to a Ft Wayne hospital.  They both suffered serious injuries, but survived the crash. Sharon Stephenson, 67, Marion, IN, a passenger in the back seat of the Lexus, was also flown by medical helicopter to a Ft. Wayne hospital. She succumbed to injuries sustained in the crash. Barbara Dryer, 69, Fairmont, IN, also a back seat passenger in the Lexus, was pronounced dead at the crash scene. Bowyer was transported by ambulance to a Wabash hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries.

During the investigation, evidence indicated that Bowyer was allegedly under the influence of a narcotic at the time of the crash. Officers presented enough probable cause to the Wabash Circuit Court for an arrest warrant to be issued for Bowyer.

Troopers Perez and Biggs were assisted with this investigation by the Wabash County Sheriff’s Department, the Wabash County Prosecutor’s Office, the Wabash County EMS, the Noble Township Fire Department, the La Fontaine Fire Department and Lutheran Air Ambulance.

All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.