Woman is accused of kicking nurse in an escape attempt

By Joe Gerrety
jgerrety@journalandcourier.com

FOWLER -- A Lafayette woman accused of driving drunk Saturday night and causing the death of a Boswell wrecker operator is a flight risk, the prosecutor argued Tuesday.

Prosecutor Jud Barce asked Judge Rex Kepner of Benton Circuit Court to increase the bond for Amber N. Scearcy, 25, who is accused of drunken driving causing death. She is being held on $30,000 surety bond, plus $3,000 cash bond.

During an initial court appearance Tuesday, Scearcy told Kepner she plans to hire her own lawyer.

Deputy prosecutor Hunter Reece said more than a half-dozen wrecker drivers from the area attended the court hearing to show their support for the family of Harry L. Fox, 38, who was killed in the crash Saturday night on U.S. 41 near Earl Park.

Fox was in the process of loading a disabled car onto a flatbed wrecker when the van Scearcy was driving went off the road and struck him and two bystanders.

One of them, Christopher Walker, 17, of Kentland was in a regular room Tuesday at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. His condition was unavailable from the hospital.

Barce filed a motion to increase Scearcy's bond, for which Kepner scheduled a 3 p.m. hearing Friday.

Barce argued Scearcy is a flight risk. She is accused of kicking a nurse in the face in an effort to leave St. Elizabeth Medical Center, where she was taken for treatment after the crash on Saturday night.

Indiana State Police are investigating that incident for possible criminal charges in Tippecanoe County.