A speeding driver caused a violent series of events on the near west side of Indianapolis on Saturday night, leaving pedestrian Tamara Thomas dead inside a gas station parking lot. The incident took place at roughly 8:30 p.m. near West 16th Street and Tibbs Avenue.
According to police, a car traveling southbound on Tibbs Avenue was going fast as it approached 16th Street. The driver clipped another vehicle on the street, setting off a dangerous chain reaction in the middle of traffic.
After striking the first vehicle, the car crossed through traffic without slowing down. It drifted out of the street lanes and drove straight onto the lot of a nearby gas station.
Thomas was on foot inside the gas station lot when the runaway vehicle entered the property. The car struck her in the parking area, leaving her with fatal injuries before the vehicle came to a stop.
The driver immediately abandoned the vehicle and fled the area on foot, leaving behind a chaotic scene with multiple damaged cars and a fatal injury. Witnesses in the area alerted police to the suspect’s direction of flight.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police officers responded to the location along with emergency medical crews. The driver of the initial vehicle struck in traffic was unharmed and stayed behind to cooperate fully with responding officers.
Investigators secured the gas station lot and collected tire marks, car parts, and nearby surveillance footage to identify the runaway driver. Later in the evening, police located and arrested an adult male suspect linked to the crash.
The suspect now faces charges tied to the deadly hit-and-run as officers finalize their crash reconstruction report. The intersection of 16th Street and Tibbs Avenue reopened after investigators finished documenting the scene overnight.
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