Tri-State man charged in hit-and-run that left cyclist with ‘severe’ injuries

SWITZERLAND COUNTY, Indiana (WXIX) - Authorities say a man accused in a serious hit-and-run crash removed the mirrors from his truck to hide evidence of his involvement.

Will Hayes, 19, was arrested last week on charges of leaving the scene of an accident and obstruction of justice.

Hayes hit a cyclist, David Osborne, on March 12 as Osborne was riding his bike home on IN-56, according to the Switzerland County Sheriff’s Office.

Osborne suffered multiple serious injuries and remains in a rehab facility weeks later.

A police affidavit says Hayes called Switzerland County Dispatch following the crash, saying he’d seen a Facebook post about someone in a black truck hitting a cyclist. Hayes volunteered that he had a similar truck but, according to the affidavit, said it wasn’t he who hit the cyclist.

Sometime later, investigators saw Hayes’ truck and observed it had the same dent in the roof as the truck they were looking for, the affidavit reads. They also allegedly saw the mirrors were different.

Police write that Hayes eventually admitted he was the one who hit Osborne. He allegedly confessed that he went home after the crash and changed out the mirrors on his truck before calling the dispatch line to claim it wasn’t him.

The police affidavit says Hayes told the investigators he’d had two beers before getting behind the wheel.

Osborne’s attorney send the following statement Tuesday night:

“Mr. Osborne was a victim of a tragic incident and despicable criminal act. We are cooperating with law enforcement and will let the criminal process play out. We will exhaust all civil options to get justice for Mr. Osborne’s severe, life-altering injuries and unspeakable loss. The Osborne family appreciates all well-wishes for David as he embarks on his long road to recovery.”

Hayes posted a $600 straight bail shortly after his arrest.

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