No OWI Charges Filed in Fatal Jasper Crash

Jasper- On December 15th, first responders were called the scene of a vehicle vs. pedestrian accident that resulted in the death of 54-year-old Stephanie Taylor.

Jasper police reported finding marijuana inside the vehicle driven by 20-year-old Martha Hale of Huntingburg. Officers say a chemical test done at the hospital showed a “presumptive positive” for marijuana. Hale was arrested and initially charged with Felony OWI Fatality and misdemeanor OWI and Possession charges. 

Now, Jasper Police say the prosecutor’s office is not pursuing the OWI charges. JPD released the following statement:

“The Jasper Police Department wants to clarify the phrase of ‘filed in error’ in court documents for charges against Martha Hale. 

The Jasper Police Department believes that charges were appropriate related to this incident, but the prosecutor's office was not comfortable pursuing the OWI related charges due to defenses available to the defendant in these types of cases. 

The Jasper Police Department respects the Dubois County Prosecutor's Office for the decision not to file the OWI related charges on Ms. Hale. We understand that current legislation establishing a defense makes these types of cases very difficult to prove in court. 

The Jasper Police Department would like to remind the public that Marijuana is still an illegal substance in the State of Indiana. Even though no charges for Operating while Intoxicated were filed in this incident, the Jasper Police Department is still going to enforce the laws of the State of Indiana to protect the citizens of the community.”

We have reached out to County Prosecutor Anthony Quinn for comment.