Car hits two houses in New Albany

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April 22, 2012

Car hits two houses in New Albany

Passenger ejected, in critical condition

NEWS AND TRIBUNE newsroom@newsandtribune.com The News and Tribune Sun Apr 22, 2012, 08:38 PM EDT

NEW ALBANY — A New Albany man was arrested after the vehicle he was driving struck two houses early Sunday morning.

The New Albany Police Department received a call at about 3:14 a.m. regarding a vehicle that had struck two houses in the 1600 block of Slate Run Road, according to a press release. An off-duty officer heard the crash and responded from his home to find one of the passengers, Whitney Vaught, 19, of New Albany, had been ejected from the vehicle. She was not wearing a seatbelt, according to the press release. She was transported to the University of Louisville Hospital where she was listed in critical condition. Two other passengers in the vehicle suffered non-life threatening injuries.

According to the preliminary investigation, a silver 2000 Toyota Celica driven by Jesse R. Carter, 18, of New Albany was traveling north in the 1600 block of Slate Run Road when, for unknown reasons, it left the west side of the roadway, struck a tree, the front porch of a home and the side of another home before coming to rest between the two houses. No one in either of the two houses was injured, according to the press release.

After being treated at Floyd Memorial Hospital and Health Services, Carter was arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing serious bodily injury, illegal consumption of alcohol and possession of marijuana. He was taken to the Floyd County jail.

The crash remains under investigation. Alcohol and speed are believed to be significant factors in the crash, according to the press release.