(Dearborn County, IN) – A Moores Hill man has been arrested and charged in connection with a double fatal drugged driving crash that happened earlier this summer along State Road 350 in Dearborn County.
Investigators allege 46-year-old Steven Ray Witte had methamphetamine and other drugs in his system at the time of the head-on collision on June 12 that claimed the lives of 33-year-old Jordan and Sierra Walters of Milan and seriously injured their 4- and 6-year-old sons.
Witte has been charged with:
- Two counts of Operating a Vehicle Causing Death with a Schedule I or ll Controlled Substance, Level 4 felonies;
- Two counts of Operating a Vehicle While lntoxicated Causing Death, Level 4 felonies;
- Two counts of Operating a Vehicle While lntoxicated Resulting in Serious Bodily lnjury, Level 5 felonies;
- Operating a Vehicle While lntoxicated Endangering a Person, a Class A misdemeanor; and
- Operating a Vehicle with a Schedule I or ll Controlled Substance in the Blood, a Class C misdemeanor.
The Walters were traveling to a youth baseball game at the time of the crash; their sons survived the wreck that killed their parents.
According to the probable cause affidavit, lndiana State Police responded at approximately 5:58 p.m. to a head-on collision on State Road 350 in Dearborn County. Investigators allege that Witte was driving a Ford F-150 westbound when his vehicle crossed completely into the eastbound lane and struck the Walters family’s GMC Terrain near the fog line.
The force of the impact sent the Walters vehicle over the guardrail and down an embankment. Jordan and Sierra Walters, of Milan, were pronounced deceased at the scene. Their two young children survived but suffered serious injuries and were transported to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital for treatment.
The affidavit describes the terrifying moments experienced by the children. According to family members, the 6-year-old remembers seeing the truck in front of the family’s vehicle, hearing his mother scream, and then hearing an extremely loud impact. After the crash, he looked at his 4-year-old brother and initially believed that his brother did not have eyes because of the amount of blood covering his face.
Medical records indicate that both children underwent surgeries as a result of the injuries they sustained from the crash. Despite being injured, the 6-year-old climbed out of the wrecked vehicle, made his way under the guardrail, and reached the roadway to seek help for his parents and younger brother.
A blood sample obtained from Witte pursuant to a search warrant was submitted to the Indiana Department of Toxicology.
The results came back in late August and, according to the affidavit, testing showed the presence of methamphetamine, amphetamine, buprenorphine, and norbuprenorphine in Witte’s blood.
The affidavit further states that on Friday, August 28, Witte was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by an lndiana State Police trooper.
Witte and the driver were subsequently arrested after more than 10 grams but less than 28 grams of suspected methamphetamine were allegedly discovered. Separate charges arising from that traffic stop were filed in Dearborn Circuit Court.
During an interview with investigators on August 31, Witte allegedly stated that he was drug-dependent at the time of the fatal crash, had no memory of the collision, and was a habitual user of methamphetamine.
According to the affidavit, Witte also identified suspected drugs recovered from his truck following the crash as the same drugs that had been inside his vehicle that day.
“This is an almost unimaginable tragedy,” Dearborn County Prosecutor Lynn Deddens said. “Jordan and Sierra Walters lost their lives, and their two young children survived a horrific crash that took both of their parents from them. The courage shown by this 6-year-old child-injured, frightened, and still trying to find help for his family-is difficult to put into words. No criminal charge can restore what this family has lost or erase the pain these children and their loved ones will carry. Our responsibility now is to pursue accountability carefully, thoroughly, and with the seriousness this case demands.”
Deddens expressed appreciation to lndiana State Police, the Dearborn County Sheriffs Office, the Aurora and Lawrenceburg Police, departments, as well as the firefighters, emergency medical personnel, Air Care crews, dispatchers, medical providers, and all other first responders who worked at the scene and assisted the Walters family.
Witte appeared in Dearborn Superior Court I for his initial hearing on Tuesday.
Judge Jonathan Cleary set bond at $5 million.
Witte is being held in the Dearborn County Law Enforcement. Center.
He is due back in court for pre-trial hearings on October 13 and February 1.
A jury trial is scheduled to begin on February 22, 2027.
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