By Liz Shepherd
InkFreeNews

Zachery Eugene Anderson

CLAYPOOL — A Claypool man was recently arrested for allegedly driving under the influence and wrecking a vehicle, resulting in the death of a passenger in his vehicle.

Zachery Eugene Anderson, 22, 9532 S. 750W, Claypool, is charged with causing death when operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a level 4 felony.

At 6:22 a.m. Saturday, July 9, 2022, a Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to a single-vehicle accident on CR 750W, near Beaver Dam Lake. Upon arrival, the deputy saw two people ejected from a heavily damaged Cadillac SRX, positioned on its passenger’s side.

According to court documents, Alice M. Dills, 57, Claypool, was pronounced dead at the scene. Anderson was located north of the vehicle.

On July 11, 2022, Dills’ family provided in-home video footage from Dills’ security camera system for July 8 and 9, 2022. Footage showed Anderson and Dills drinking alcoholic beverages beginning at 9:43 p.m. July 8. At 3:10 a.m. July 9, Anderson and Dills were both showing signs of intoxication. They walked out of the residence and entered a Cadillac, with Anderson getting in the driver’s seat and Dills entering the passenger’s side.

In an interview with officers, Anderson said he hung out with Dills on July 8, 2022, drank some beer and had no idea who was driving prior to the crash. A certified chemical blood alcohol result showed Anderson’s BAC was 0.177.

On Sept. 15, 2022, KCSO deputies examined the Cadillac and determined its driver’s seat settings would have excluded Dills as the vehicle’s driver due to her physical composition.

Anderson was booked in the Kosciusko County Jail on May 10, with a $41,000 surety and cash bond. As conditions of his bond, Anderson must submit to GPS monitoring and random drug and alcohol screenings through the Kosciusko County Community Corrections program.

Anderson also cannot leave the state without prior written permission from the county’s courts.