OWI charges filed on Dechert

Deputy alleges attorney attempted to mask his intoxication at the scene of the accident

Local attorney Craig Dechert was charged with OWI Endangering a Person on June 30, stemming from a May 23 incident in which he allegedly struck a motorcyclist, causing severe injuries to a rider.

According to the filing in Hamilton County Superior Court, Dechert faces three charges: Causing Serious Bodily Injury When Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated (Level 5 Felony); OWI Endangering a Person (Class A Misdemeanor); and Operating a Vehicle with an ACE of .15 or More (Class A Misdemeanor).

The probable cause affidavit for the case shows that Dechert was driving a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse when he allegedly struck a motorcycle at the intersection of 266th Street and U.S. 31. He admitted to the officer on the scene that he was the operator and sole occupant of the vehicle.