EVANSVILLE – A man is currently facing two misdemeanor charges after police say he drove a vehicle off the roof of the Bally’s Casino parking garage Monday morning.
According to an affidavit of probable cause from the Evansville Police Department, Jeremiah Oldham faces one count of criminal recklessness, a Level 6 felony, and one count of criminal mischief, a Level 6 felony. Damage from the crash is estimated in EPD’s report listed it at more than $50,000.
Oldham would also be on federal probation. Court records show Oldham was convicted in Kentucky in 2011 of possessing child pornography. He was sentenced to 78 months in prison and would then be released on supervised release.
Vanderburgh County booking records show Oldham was arrested Saturday for not having a driver’s license as a registered sex offender. He was released on bail and subsequently failed to show up for his first hearing, which was set for 1.15pm on the day of the crash at Bally’s.
Oldham is not mentioned in the booking details relating to the new charges.
According to the affidavit, Oldham’s probation officer reported that he has a history of mental health issues and has been diagnosed with psychosis.
On November 24, a day before the crash, Oldham reportedly told his probation officer that people were trying to kill him. The probation officer told him to contact authorities and seek treatment.
The affidavit states that Oldham drove his white SUV off the roof of the parking garage after pushing aside a concrete barrier with the vehicle’s grill. According to the report, the barrier was designed to keep people out of the restricted area.
“Oldman then drove at a high rate of speed to the far end of the parking garage, driving through the wall and causing his vehicle to fall several feet and crash into the roof of the casino,” the statement said. “Oldham’s vehicle came to rest upside down at the top of the escalators leading to the ballrooms of the casino’s convention center.”
The area was clear at the time of the crash, so no one was injured or killed, according to the affidavit. But the convention center was operational and both staff and guests were present.
The fire suppression system went off as a result of the crash, which caused significant flooding and water damage, the report said.
As the Courier & Press reported Monday, the center was being used by Koorsen Fire and Safety for an on-site conference for building inspectors and firefighters about fire alarm systems and sprinkler systems when the incident occurred.
They came out of their conference and rendered aid and helped disable the building’s systems. Koorsen is the fire protection company for Bally’s.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Man faces misdemeanor charges after driving out of Evansville casino parking garage
