A 44-year-old Kentucky man allegedly drove his Ford Mustang into a creek after spending a night drinking at a bowling alley, and his 15-year-old son drowned as a result.
Police have charged David Rhodes with vehicular homicide, assault and operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol in connection with the death of his son, Ethan Rhodes.
The incident happened just before 9 p.m. on June 27 near the 860 block of Bewley Hollow Road in Elizabethtown, roughly 45 miles south of Louisville, according to Kentucky State Police. Heavy rainfall and flooding had hit the area, troopers said.
Rhodes was driving on Bewley Hollow Road when he lost control of his car, cops said. The Mustang left the road and overturned in a flooded creek, trapping Rhodes, Ethan and another juvenile inside.
Emergency crews pulled Rhodes and the two kids from the vehicle and rushed them to the hospital, local ABC affiliate WHAS reported. Ethan died, while the other juvenile reportedly suffered head trauma. WHAS reported that the hospital released Rhodes.
Rhodes later told troopers that his son begged for help and asked what they should do as water filled the car. He told his son he “did not know, he was drowning too,” according to an arrest citation obtained by WHAS.
The defendant reportedly said they were coming from a bowling alley where he had “a few beers.” He went on to say he was drinking from a pitcher, the citation stated. Cops noted his slurred speech and glassy eyes.
Rhodes reportedly had a BAC of 0.141, nearly twice the legal limit of 0.08.
Officers arrested Rhodes and took him to the Hardin County Jail, where he remains on a $250,000 bond. His next court date was not immediately available.
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