UPDATE: Woman charged with reckless homicide in death of Indianapolis doctor, others
UPDATE: Kelli Anderson has been charged with reckless homicide for the second time, according to a news release issued Friday, March 31, by the Marion County Prosecutor's Office. The charges come roughly 10 months after Brian Dillman, an Indianapolis doctor, was fatally struck by an SUV as the physician walked along the sidewalk on the north side of the city.
Less than a month after Dillman died, Anderson was involved in a second fatal crash, in which she was charged with reckless homicide and six counts of criminal recklessness after investigators discovered she was not medically cleared to drive by her doctor.
ORIGINAL STORY: A woman tied to two fatal crashes is facing charges after investigators uncovered a history of dangerous driving they say is caused by a medical condition.
Following a fatal crash on May 19, Kelli Anderson, who told police she suffers from seizures, was told by doctors that she should not be behind the wheel, according to a probable cause affidavit.
"Neurology explained to the patient that she is at high risk of harm to herself and/or others and that she should not drive for six months until cleared by [a] neurologist," according to medical records from May 20. "Patient verbalized understanding."
The second fatal crash occurred June 9 — less than one month after.
Related: 'Deeply dedicated' Indianapolis doctor fatally struck by SUV while walking on sidewalk
More Indy crime news: Indianapolis man arrested after deadly crash on I-65 in Tippecanoe County
Police say Anderson drove across a median near the intersection of North Keystone Avenue and East 52nd Street and hit several vehicles stopped at a red light, including Kiana Burns', according to a probable cause affidavit.
Burns, who was in the first car hit, suffered critical injuries and was taken to IU Methodist Hospital where she died two days later. Burns was an Indianapolis resident and a mother of four.
Anderson told police she was driving north in her white Lincoln SUV when she swerved to avoid hitting a car that cut in front of her in the right turn lane, but she misjudged and veered into the stopped vehicles, records state.
The Lincoln first struck Burns' vehicle, a gray Pontiac G6. That car, which was in the left-most lane for traffic travelling straight, was then pushed into the rear of a gray Toyota Corolla stopped in front of it and a white Subaru Forester stopped in the center lane. The Toyota then hit a red Ford Edge stopped in the same lane and a black Fiat 500 in the left turn lane.
After hitting the Pontiac, the Lincoln spun left into a silver Honda Accord in the left turn lane, which then hit a U-Haul box truck that was stopped behind the Fiat.
The Lincoln that Anderson drove accelerated before it hit the vehicles, according to data collected by investigators. The Airbag Control Module in the Lincoln, which records and stores data up to five seconds of data before a crash, indicated the car was traveling about 69 mph at impact.
The speed limit on Keystone Avenue is 35 mph. The data also showed the brakes were not engaged.
Anderson told detectives she suffers from epilepsy triggered by life-threatening allergies, the court document said. She was diagnosed with seizures in February 2018 and said she takes prescription medication for her seizures.
Anderson told investigators she is allowed to drive because her illness is due to allergies.
When officers asked her on June 9 if she was struggling with symptoms, she said she "blacked out" and didn't remember what happened, according to the probable cause affidavit.
Anderson was arrested Friday, June 17, on charges of reckless homicide and six counts of criminal recklessness in connection to this crash.
According to investigators, Anderson was also involved in a fatal crash on May 19 near East 49th Street and North Meridian Street. As of Friday, Anderson is not facing charges in this fatal collision.
Indy police find history of dangerous driving
As police were investigating the crash, they discovered Anderson has been involved in five more crashes since August 2019.
August 3, 2019: Anderson was driving a Saturn Outlook on the 6500 block of North Meridian Street when she veered off the road, drove the car into a ditch and it flipped over. After the crash, Anderson told police officers she possibly had a seizure and did not know what happened.
February 20, 2020: Anderson was driving a silver 2012 GMC Acadia south on Dean Road and rolled through a stop sign at East 79th Street. Police said she crashed into a BMW 528i turning south onto Dean Road. The driver said she had shoulder pains and was transported to Community North Hospital.
March 9, 2021: Anderson was driving a silver 2013 GMC Acadia south on Fall Creek parkways North Drive when she struck another vehicle going south, records state.
September 2, 2021: Anderson was driving a silver 2013 GMC Acadia south on Allisonville Road when she hit a black Chevrolet Trax travelling the same direction, causing the Chevrolet to spin out and the GMC to veer off the road and into a fire hydrant. Anderson told police she did not know she was involved in an accident or hit anyone.
May 2, 2022: Anderson was driving a black 2017 GMC Acadia south in the 3700 block of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street when she veered off the road and into a light pole. Anderson said a car had stopped suddenly in front of her and she had swerved to avoid it, which she told police caused her to run off the road.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis woman charged with reckless homicide for fatal crash
