A guy in Evansville, Indiana, is in big trouble after a strange and damaging event at Bally’s Casino. Police say Jeremiah Oldham drove his SUV off the seventh floor of the casino’s parking garage on Monday morning. His vehicle crashed into the roof of the nearby Executive Conference Center.
Man Charged with Felonies After High-Speed Crash Causes Major Damage at Convention Center
Based on a police report, Oldham faces charges of criminal recklessness and criminal mischief, both Level 6 felonies. The crash caused over $50,000 in damage. Police say Oldham smashed through a concrete barrier at high speed before falling several floors, reported the Courier & Press. His car ended up upside down on top of an escalator that leads to the convention center’s ballrooms.
The impact triggered the building’s fire suppression system, which led to major flooding. No one got hurt. At the time, the convention center was holding a fire safety conference. People at the event jumped in to help by turning off the broken systems.
Oldham now on federal probation, struggles with mental health issues, including psychosis. His probation officer said Oldham had delusions about being a target and refused to get emergency care when advised. He stopped taking his prescribed drugs, which made his condition worse.
History of Crime and Mental Instability Highlighted After Dangerous Crash at Bally’s Casino
Court files show his criminal past includes a 2011 conviction for having child pornography. He spent over six years in jail for this crime. Two days before the crash, police arrested Oldham for not carrying a driver’s license as a registered sex offender. They let him go on bond.
The affidavit outlines a series of unstable actions before the event. On November 24, Oldham told his probation officer he thought people wanted to kill him. Though told to get emergency help, he did not follow this advice.
After the crash, rescue teams pulled Oldham from his flipped car and took him to a hospital for care. Officials have not yet said if he is still held for the new charges.
The harm to Bally’s Casino and the Executive Conference Center has led to big repairs, but both places are now open again. The event has brought up concerns about gaps in monitoring people with serious mental health problems on probation when public safety is at stake.
The probe continues, as authorities stress how lucky it is that nobody got hurt considering how extreme the wreck was.
