Man Arrested for Causing Fatal Crash While Fleeing Police

Monday, May 11, 2020 at 9:57 PM

By Sgt. Stephen Wheeles Indiana State Police

The vehicle, being driven by Coombs, fled from the officer northbound on State Road 7 from Madison.

(Madison, Ind.) - Today, Indiana State Police Detectives served an arrest warrant on Blake Coombs, age 19, on numerous charges related to a fatal crash that occurred in January of this year as a result of him fleeing from police in a vehicle. Two passengers in his vehicle were killed in the crash.

The initial investigation by detectives from the Indiana State Police-Versailles Post indicated that on January 9, 2020, at approximately 3:45 pm, a Madison, Indiana police officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop on 2005 Toyota passenger car. The vehicle, being driven by Coombs, fled from the officer northbound on State Road 7 from Madison. The Indiana State Police and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department assisted the Madison Police Department in pursuing the vehicle. The vehicle turned westbound on State Road 250, southbound on State Road 3, and then eastbound on State Road 256 back towards Madison, Indiana.

Coombs lost control of the vehicle on SR 256 at Thompson Road. The vehicle left the roadway, striking two utility poles on the northeast corner of the intersection. A front seat passenger in the vehicle, Tyler Cooley, age 18, Hanover, Indiana and a backseat passenger, Brooklyn James, age 19, Madison, Indiana sustained fatal injuries in the crash. They were both pronounced deceased at the scene by the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office. Coombs was airlifted from the scene to a Louisville area hospital where he was treated for serious injuries.

While hospitalized, blood tests results showed Coombs had controlled substances and marijuana in his system at the time of the crash. Coombs, who also goes by the name Blake Eisenhower, was unlicensed at the time of the crash.

At the conclusion of the investigation, a warrant was issued for Coombs out of the Jefferson County Circuit Court for two counts of Resisting Law Enforcement Causing Death-Level 3 Felony and two counts of Reckless Homicide-Level 5 Felony. The warrant was served today on Coombs who has been held at the Pendleton Juvenile Correctional Facility on an unrelated charge since being released from the hospital following the crash.

Coombs will soon be given an initial appearance in the Jefferson County Circuit Court.