Indiana Man Sentenced to 74 Years for Deadly Crash That Killed Two Children
S'Doni Pettis, a 25-year-old Indiana man, has been handed a 74-year prison sentence for causing a horrific crash that resulted in the deaths of two young children. The incident occurred while Pettis was fleeing from police in a stolen vehicle, leading to a fiery collision that claimed the lives of a two-month-old girl and her three-year-old brother.
Details of the Tragic Incident
The fatal crash took place on February 5, 2025, when Pettis, driving a stolen gray Honda Civic Sport, refused to stop for police near US 40 and Raceway Road. Authorities reported that Pettis sped through a red light at the intersection of US 40 and Ronald Reagan Parkway, slamming into a Ford Explorer carrying a father and his two children. The impact was so severe that it engulfed the vehicle in flames and sent it airborne.
Two-month-old Iris Moore died at the scene, while her three-year-old brother, Ares Vawter, suffered burns covering more than 60 percent of his body and later succumbed to his injuries at Riley Children's Hospital. Data retrieved from the stolen car revealed it was traveling at 95 mph just five seconds before the collision and nearly 89 mph at the moment of impact. Investigators noted the absence of skid marks, indicating that Pettis never applied the brakes.
Legal Proceedings and Sentencing
Pettis pleaded guilty in January to multiple charges, including:
- Three counts of resisting law enforcement
- Two counts of causing catastrophic injury when operating a motor vehicle
- One count of causing death when operating a motor vehicle
- One count of conversion
- One count of auto theft
Hendricks County Prosecutor Loren Delp emphasized the gravity of the crime in a statement, saying, 'The crimes committed by the defendant are unspeakable. Two innocent children lost their lives because of violent choices and utter indifference to human life.' Delp added that while no sentence could restore what was taken, there was a community obligation to hold the offender fully accountable.
Background and Aftermath
Court records show that Pettis had a history of probation violations in the year leading up to the crash, including multiple failed drug tests and missed mandatory screenings. During questioning, he admitted to taking the car after finding it unattended with the door open and fleeing because he knew it was stolen.
The children were buried on March 12, 2025, at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Greenwood. Their mother, Jack Vawter, shared that her fiancé, Shadow Moore, had been driving the children to visit their grandparents when the crash occurred. In a heartfelt statement, Vawter expressed her complex emotions: 'A huge win for justice but in this moment I feel beaten and broken from the inside out. It will never be possible to get true justice because there is nothing in the world that can match or repair what we've lost.'
Pettis, who has been held in the Hendricks County Jail since his arrest, will now be transferred to the Indiana Department of Correction. With his expected release date scheduled for the year 2100, he has thirty days to appeal the sentence, though he cannot challenge his conviction due to his guilty plea.
