NORTH VERNON, Ind. — Charges have been filed in connection with a Jennings County accident that killed Nikki Reed, 37, of Seymour, on September 17. Kevin Bell, 39, of Dover, Pennsylvania, has been charged with driving while suspended causing death, leaving the scene of a fatal crash, failure to report a dead body, driving while suspended, and false informing.
Reed had traveled to Pennsylvania to pick up Bell the weekend of September 17, and he was driving the car back to Indiana at the time of the crash. Bell drove off U.S. 50 westbound near the Jennings-Ripley County line, went down an embankment and struck a tree head on. On September 20, Bell walked up to the roadway to get help. When Indiana State Troopers arrived Bell lied about how he sustained his injuries and did not initially inform them about the crash, or that Reed was inside the vehicle. After discovering the active missing persons investigation, troopers located the car and Reed inside.
Bell was treated for injuries to his legs at an Indianapolis hospital and was released earlier this week. He remains at large.