Family speaks nearly 3 years after man accused of causing death is arrested
It’s been three years since a fatal car accident in Elkhart County and now just three days ago the man responsible has been arrested.
The prosecutor’s office told ABC57 they needed to wait for Fugate's lab results to come back from State Police back in 2014. They then issued an active warrant on June 9, 2015, but by then Fugate had already fled to Kentucky.
The victim’s sister, Amy Myers, told ABC57 she didn’t know anything about Fugate, but knows she wants justice.
“He didn’t even give them time to catch him. We were waiting on a toxicology report, when that came back he was already gone. I just want some type of justice,” she said.
Jennifer Myers was killed while driving her moped on August 29, 2014.
On Tuesday, her sister and aunt Diana Scholl exclusively met with ABC57, after finding out the driver responsible for Jennifer’s death was arrested on Sunday.
Amy, in tears, says she was the one that had to break the news to her mother. “I saw the cops at my work and that never goes away, having to tell your mom that her daughter was killed.”
Jennifer was Amy’s only sister. She says Jennifer could brighten anyone’s day. “She cared about people, if you knew her you’d know she was full of fun, exciting to be around.”
According to Amy, Jennifer was heading to a nursing home to work around 5:30 a.m.
Suddenly, she got hit by driver James DR Fugate on the 14000 Block of County Road 38 and was pronounced dead on the scene.
“She was too young, taken too soon from us,” said Aunt Scholl.
According to court documents, Fugate told deputies he didn’t see the moped and therefore couldn’t prevent the accident---but, he did admit to smoking marijuana before the accident.
But Fugate’s blood work proved he was on three different types of drugs, which he had no prescription for.
Amy says all this information makes her relive that moment. She wishes she could've told her sister how much she meant to her that morning.
“It just brings up the memories of that day and what happened…I loved her.”
Fugate was charged with causing death when operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.
The prosecutor’s office confirmed the next step is Fugate's initial hearing.