Esteban Lopez Medina ELKHART COUNTY, Ind. -- Court documents from Elkhart County reveal 31-year-old Esteban Lopez Medina is facing multiple charges following a hit-and-run crash Wednesday night.
Medina has been charged with Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated Endangering a Person, a Misdemeanor, Leaving the Scene of an Accident, a Misdemeanor, and Knowingly or Intentionally Operating Motor Vehicle without Ever Receiving a License, a Misdemeanor.
His initial court hearing is set for Dec. 16.
According to the probable cause affidavit in the case, Elkhart County Dispatch received a call around 5 p.m., Wednesday, from a man stating he'd just witnessed a gold Toyota Camry strike pick-up truck in the area of C.R. 40 and C.R. 17.
The witness said the Camry drove away following the collision.
The witness told dispatch he was following the suspect vehicle and continued giving location updates to authorities.
A deputy in patrol vehicle then observed the suspect vehicle with significant damage to the front passenger side at the intersection of C.R. 11 and C.R. 28.
A traffic stop was initiated, and the driver was identified as Medina.
Medina was the sole occupant of the Camry. He was then taken into custody.
Medina was identified via his Mexico Consulate card, and he admitted to never receiving license in the US.
Besides fresh damage to the Camry, authorities say they located empty bottles of Corona beer in the back seat.
Medina was then taken to Elkhart County Jail to complete standardized field sobriety tests, due to how cold it was outside.
Documents state Medina failed the tests.
The initial witness stated the Camry had rear-ended and sideswiped a pick-up truck before leaving the scene.
Authorities made contact with the driver of the pick-up truck, who stated he was at a stop sign when the Camry struck him before leaving the scene.
Deputies noted an Indiana BMV check on Medina's driver status showed he'd never received license, but that he was issued a BMV-generated ID number for being involved in no-insurance crash.