Cody Lee Ferrell, 35, of Greenfield, was charged this month in connection with a head-on crash on State Road 67 near Pendleton that left a passenger dead and others hospitalized. The collision happened on Feb. 10 and, according to court filings, led to a criminal investigation that focused on drugs found in the driver’s system. Family members and first responders are still working through how the two-vehicle crash unfolded and which injuries proved fatal.
Authorities said the crash occurred around 2:30 p.m. on the 5000 block of State Road 67 near Pendleton when Ferrell’s Ford SUV crossed the center median and struck a northbound Chevrolet pickup. The pickup’s driver, a 72-year-old Fortville man, and Ferrell were taken to Ascension St. Vincent Anderson with what were described as minor injuries. Two passengers from the vehicles were airlifted to Ascension St. Vincent in Indianapolis. One passenger, identified in a probable-cause affidavit as Rovena Harrison, died of injuries that included numerous fractures, as reported by WTHR.
What the charges mean under Indiana law
Prosecutors charged Ferrell with causing death and causing catastrophic injury while operating a vehicle with a Schedule I or II controlled substance or its metabolite in his blood, offenses that carry felony penalties in Indiana. State law treats causing death while operating with certain controlled substances in the bloodstream as a serious felony, and penalties increase depending on prior convictions and other aggravating factors. As outlined by LegiScan (which publishes the statutory text), those statutes can result in multi-year prison terms upon conviction.
What court papers and investigators say
According to the probable-cause affidavit and reporting that reviewed those court papers, a hospital blood draw tested positive for delta-9 carboxy THC and delta-9 THC, fentanyl and its metabolite norfentanyl, amphetamine and methamphetamine. Deputies also found what investigators described as apparent drug paraphernalia at Ferrell’s feet at the scene, and court documents say he failed parts of field sobriety testing at the hospital. Ferrell told investigators he had dropped a cigarette and bent over to pick it up before his vehicle crossed into oncoming traffic, per WTHR.
What’s next
Ferrell was formally charged on April 14 in online court records, and prosecutors will decide whether to pursue the enhanced count or counts tied to controlled substances as the case moves through pretrial steps. Local court dockets and the prosecutor’s office remain the main sources for upcoming hearing dates and bail details. For now, the investigation notes in court filings are the primary public record of the allegations. Anyone with video or information about the crash was asked to contact the Madison County Sheriff’s Department, which led the on-scene response.
