The afternoon of May 7, 2025, started like any other for Estaban Salas and his 4-year-old son, Alan. They were cycling home from the park, a typical father-son outing, when everything changed in an instant. At the intersection of Raymond and State, a driver, speeding against a red light, shattered their peaceful journey. The reckless act left two adults, Estaban Salas and Erin Bailey, critically injured, and tragically, claimed the life of young Alan Salas-Garcia.

A Neighbor’s Chilling Account

I interviewed a neighbor in the area about their recollection of the tragic night.

“We were just chatting outside, you know, a typical evening,” the neighbor recalled, “Then, out of nowhere, this horrific sound pierced our ears. My friend instantly said, ‘That was an accident!‘ But honestly, I thought it was just some loud car at first. She kept insisting, so we decided to check it out. When we peeked around the front of the house, it was pure chaos.“

“There was a man on the ground, and several officers were already there, trying to talk to him. As we got closer to the intersection, it was surreal. There was a bike lying in the middle of the road, and what looked like forty police officers were swarming the scene. And then we saw him—a baby, he couldn’t have been older than 5, lying there on the road, officers desperately trying to help him. On the other side of the street, two wrecked cars sat. Another woman was down on that side, an officer kneeling beside her. The ambulances arrived quickly, sirens wailing, and one by one, they took them all away.”

“A little while later, the officers told us to move back,” the neighbor finally finished. “They had to seal it off for the crime scene.”

Both of the adults were taken to Eskinazi Hospital in Downtown Indianapolis. Salas-Garcia was taken to Riley’s Children’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 10 p.m. that same night, just moments after he had arrived. The driver who caused the crash fled the scene and was later identified as 22-year-old Danny Wimbleduff and arrested and charged with several charges, including reckless homicide.

This tragedy highlighted the need for change to happen in the area. There have already been several fatal crashes in the past year alone on Raymond St. Several residents of the surrounding areas have urged the public to sign petitions to prevent more lives from being lost due to unsafe driving.

Once again, I asked the same neighbor what they think should be done to prevent more tragedies like this. They responded, “I feel like speed limits should be dropped down to 25, at least near Raymond and State.” They justified this by saying, “This isn’t the first time someone’s gotten hurt on these streets. If we don’t do anything, it won’t be the last.” They further explained, “We’re right by a school zone; if people aren’t careful, another kid could get hurt.”

The tragedy that unfolded on May 7, 2025, at the intersection of Raymond and State is a stark and painful reminder of the devastating human cost of reckless driving. Young Alan Salas-Garcia’s innocent life was senselessly cut short, while his father, Estaban Salas, and Erin Bailey were left with critical injuries, forever changed by a driver’s dangerous choice. As residents like the interviewed neighbor bravely voice their concerns and call for urgent action, the imperative to address the recurring dangers on Raymond Street becomes undeniable. This heartbreaking event, amplified by past crashes, underscores the critical need for immediate safety measures, such as reduced speed limits, to protect every life that travels through this community.