By Sophia Voravong
svoravong@journalandcourier.com

Have a tip? Anyone with information on the Montmorenci hit-and-run should call Officer Tim Bonner of the Lafayette Police Department at (765) 807-1292.

Evidence at the scene of a hit-and-run crash late Friday in a Montmorenci parking lot indicates that the driver made an abrupt 360-turn in his pickup truck, running over his ex-wife.

Police still are investigating what led to a suspected argument between Robert L. Kerfoot, 48, of Lafayette and his ex-wife, Michelle A. Kerfoot, 37, just before she was hit.

Michelle Kerfoot of West Lafayette suffered a broken pelvis bone and internal injuries. She was listed in good condition Tuesday afternoon at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis.

"We think that they had both been drinking and got in some kind of argument," said Lafayette police officer Mark Roberts, a member of the Lafayette Metro Fatal Alcohol Crash Team that is investigating the wreck.

According to a Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Department crash report obtained Tuesday, Robert Kerfoot had a blood-alcohol content of 0.07 percent after the crash. He was arrested on suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing serious bodily injury.

The legal limit for driving in Indiana is 0.08 percent, but police can make arrests if a motorist's BAC is above 0.05 percent and there are signs of impairment -- such as swerving between lanes, Roberts said.

Courts were closed Tuesday, and formal charges have not been filed.

The incident between the Kerfoots happened sometime between 10 and 11 p.m. Friday in a large gravel parking lot at 3820 Walnut St. in Montmorenci, near U.S. 52 and U.S. 231. They were riding in Robert Kerfoot's 2004 Ford F-150 pickup truck.

But Michelle Kerfoot's injuries were not reported until Robert Kerfoot drove his ex-wife 10 miles to his home at 1905 Stillwell St. on Lafayette's north end.

"If she was pushed, if she fell out or if she jumped out -- we don't know for sure yet," Roberts said. "But she lives in that area, and it's my belief that she must have been wanting to get out and go home."

They are the only people believed to have been in the vehicle.

Police suspect that Michelle Kerfoot was outside the truck, near the passenger door, when her ex-husband quickly accelerated and made a severe left hand turn -- cutting half a donut, Roberts said.

Tire marks in the gravel matched the tires on the suspect's vehicle.

Because of a lack of damage to the pickup, police suspect that Michelle Kerfoot was run over by the rear passenger tire, Roberts said.

Responding officers found a 2-inch spot of blood, along with several more drips in the gravel, according to the crash report.

At least two people witnessed part of the incident. An off-duty Department of Natural Resources officer saw a man helping a woman into a pick-up truck in the parking lot, but after circling back to investigate, the truck was gone.

Another witness contacted police.

Roberts said the Marion County Fatal Alcohol Crash Team is assisting in interviewing Michelle Kerfoot at Methodist Hospital. Police did speak with the couple's children after the incident.

Roberts did not know the age of the children but said they were either released to family members or allowed home.

Robert Kerfoot also was arrested on suspicion of failing to stop after a personal injury accident, possession of marijuana and invasion of privacy.

He was in the Tippecanoe County Jail for about 13 hours before posting a $25,000 surety bond.