A driver who allegedly hit a lamppost and a flower pot in downtown Jasonville is being summoned to appear in court for leaving the scene of an accident.

On Sunday, September 20, a Jasonville citizen went to the Jasonville Police Department and reported a vehicle had just hit a streetlight and fled the scene. The citizen said a gold or tan “Jimmy” rolled through the intersection of Main and Meridian streets before crashing into a streetlight east of the intersection. The “Jimmy” then took off north out of Jasonville.

Officer Dustin Cain was dispatched and found a sidewalk lamp in front of a building at 202 East Main Street had been hit and pushed to the east. A large concrete flower pot had been shoved several feet east of its original position. The globe on the lamp had shattered into pieces and there were marks on the pole but not the pot. Pictures were taken of the damage and of tire marks on the curb and sidewalk. The utility department was called to clean up the mess.

Officer Cain then went to talk to the citizen who witnessed the incident and get more details. According to the citizen, he was behind the vehicle, heading east, when the SUV rolled into the intersection while the light was red and barely missed hitting another vehicle. He said the SUV continued to roll east slowly then went across the center line and drove onto the north sidewalk, striking the lamppost head-on and shoving the flower pot back. The SUV then allegedly backed up north through the alley then drove west through another alley. He said the SUV was not moving fast when it hit the lamppost and he assumed the driver had fallen asleep then took their foot off the brake.

Officer Cain then reviewed video surveillance footage that was available for the area and reported it showed the SUV approaching the intersection and stopping for the red light around 10:24 p.m. The traffic light went through its cycle several times but the vehicle didn’t move. At 10:26 p.m., the vehicle proceeded through the intersection slowly while the light was red, almost hit another vehicle, then continued and crossed the center line before leaving the field of view of the video.

By the next day, September 21, JPD Chief Ryan Van Horn had located the vehicle parked at a residence on South Park Street.

Mindy Jean Paiva, 37, Jasonville, was identified as the driver of a gold 1996 GMC Jimmy 4-door SUV.

When Paiva was interviewed by Chief Van Horn, she said if she hit something, she was sorry. She was on her way to the Country Porch when the next thing she knew, she hit something. She assumed she blacked out, woke up to the crash, got scared and wasn’t sure what to do. She said she was not on alcohol or drugs and this had never happened to her before.

Chief Van Horn took photos of the damage to Paiva’s vehicle.

A records check revealed Paiva’s driver’s license was suspended.

A case was filed against Paiva in Greene Superior Court and a summons has been issued ordering her to appear in court for an initial hearing on November 12.

Paiva is facing a preliminary charge of leaving the scene of an accident, a Class B misdemeanor.