Springfield man indicted in fatal hit-and-run

A Springfield man has been indicted in connection with a fatal hit-and-run that happened in November.

A Clark County grand jury indicted Jeffrey Campbell, 53, on charges of aggravated vehicular homicide, failure to stop after an accident, operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs and grand theft of a motor vehicle.

The charges are related to a crash that killed Phillip Carlton, 41, of Springfield, said Sgt. Brett Bauer of the Springfield Police Division.

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Carlton was struck by a car as he stood on a concrete median at the corner of South Shaffer and Court streets at about 1 a.m. Nov. 4, he said.

Investigators said they found Carlton lying in the road unresponsive. He was transported to Springfield Regional Medical Center but was pronounced dead at the hospital.

A woman was later discovered in the 100 block of South Race Street also suffering injuries from the crash. Police said her injuries weren’t serious and she wasn’t transported to a hospital for treatment, the Springfield News-Sun previously reported.

Tips about a suspect vehicle led police to the Night Owl bar on West Main Street, where the vehicle was located, along with Campbell.

Investigators needed to complete an alcohol and drug analysis and place Campbell in the vehicle before the case could be brought before a grand jury, Bauer said.

Investigators alleged they also found evidence that the vehicle used in the crash had been stolen.

Campbell was arrested shortly after the crash and accused of spitting on a Springfield police officer as they tried to bring him in for questioning about it, according to a Springfield Police Division report. He was charged with harassment of bodily fluids at the time.

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