The long and painful wait for justice didn’t make sense to Alexander Melton’s family.
Indianapolis police knew who the driver was—the woman who crashed into Melton’s 2014 Kia Optima at East McCarty Street and Madison Avenue on February 22. She stayed at the scene.
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The family later watched video footage showing the driver shouting about her phone while bystanders tried desperately to save Melton, along with his severely injured Uber passengers—a woman and a baby.
At the hospital, officers tried to inform her someone had died in the crash. But, according to court documents, she kept interrupting, seemingly only focused on her phone. Frustrated, a police officer eventually had to order her to stop talking so he could tell her that Melton had died.
So why wasn’t she arrested that night? Melton’s family kept asking themselves that same question.
“We wanted to know why police would take so long to arrest her,” said Laura Melton, Alexander’s mother.
Their frustration isn’t rare. Families of crash victims often face the same uncertainty and silence.
“While the community may understandably want quick action, investigators often need time to carefully piece together the facts and make sure any arrest is supported by solid, admissible evidence,” an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) spokesperson explained.
In this case, police were waiting for a toxicology report.
They told Melton’s family that the report was necessary before they could move forward with charges against the woman responsible.
“Which I understood after they told me,” Laura said. “But it was still hard.”
The family waited for months, holding on to the hope that justice would be served.
They had wanted the woman responsible to be behind bars before they laid their son—whom they described as a “shimmering light in this dark world”—to rest.
But while they mourned, the other driver’s social media told a different story. Photos showed her partying in Indianapolis and Bloomington. For the Meltons, those images felt like salt in a wound.
Justice Delayed — Or Denied?
For families like the Meltons, waiting weeks or even months for answers is far too common.
And some never see justice at all.
A 2024 Pew Research Center study revealed that most motor vehicle deaths do not result in the driver facing serious criminal charges.
Through May 2025, IMPD has investigated 23 fatal crashes. So far, only five arrests have been made. Many investigations are still ongoing, according to the department.
IMPD noted that each case takes time, and in some instances, an arrest may not be appropriate.
But Melton’s case wasn’t typical. Police had a clear suspect and evidence pointing to her involvement.
The Arrest
Everything changed once the toxicology results came in.
The report revealed the woman’s blood alcohol level could have been as high as 0.143%—nearly twice Indiana’s legal limit. It also confirmed the presence of Delta-9 THC in her system.
With that, police moved forward. They arrested her, and prosecutors charged her with 10 felonies. Most were related to driving under the influence of alcohol and controlled substances that caused death or serious injury. One of the charges was reckless homicide.
“She needs to be held accountable for this. I’m glad that the process is beginning,” said Laura Melton.
She had believed things would feel easier once an arrest was made. But the weight of grief didn’t lift. Attending the suspect’s initial hearing on May 13 brought another wave of sorrow.
“My daughter Rainey, she’s been one of the strongest people throughout this whole process, but when we walked out of the court today, she was in tears,” Laura said.
“And this is one of the easiest hearings. It was just formal charges. I know we will have a lot more harder days ahead of us.”
A Bittersweet Justice
The Meltons are experiencing something many grieving families never do: the hope of justice. But even that comes with its own pain.
“Even if we get justice for my son,” Laura Melton said, “it’s not going to bring him back.”
