Cloverdale teen to plead to felonies

A Cloverdale teenager will be sentenced Feb. 5 for allegedly purposely hitting two men with a car on June 25.

Nicholas Gregory Rogers, 19, has been in jail since June 27 -- the day he turned himself in to authorities. His bond was set at $30,000 cash on June 30.

Rogers is charged with two counts of Class B felony aggravated battery, two counts of Class C felony battery by means of a deadly weapon and two counts of Class D felony failure to stop after an accident. Under the terms of a plea agreement taken under advisement by Judge Matthew Headley, Rogers, who initially pled not guilty to all charges, would plead guilty to the Class C felonies and the rest of the charges would be dropped.

Class C felonies are punishable by up to eight years in prison.

According to court documents, Rogers allegedly intentionally struck Brett Elwood, 17, and Wade Davis, 19, both of Cloverdale, with a car in the street in the Stardust Hills subdivision in Cloverdale before fleeing the scene.

Cloverdale Police Department Senior Patrolman Charles Hallam said when he arrived at the scene on June 25, Rogers was not there. Hallam said both victims identified Rogers as their assailant.

A witness also identified Rogers and the vehicle used in the attack. The witness said he heard the car accelerate and saw Elwood and Davis hit the side and front of the car.

Later that night, police found the car Rogers had allegedly been driving -- with extensive front end and windshield damage and spots of blood and flesh on it -- abandoned by a lift station about a quarter of a mile west of Stardust Hills. Crime scene and evidence technicians were called in to assist with vehicle processing.

Officers went to Rogers' home and spoke to Rogers' mother, who said she did not know where Rogers was. Rogers' mother allowed officers to search her home, but Rogers was not there, court documents said.

Rogers' family convinced him to turn himself in at the jail two days after the incident, court records said.

Elwood was so badly injured after being struck that he lost consciousness and had to be flown from the scene via Lifeline Helicopter to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, where he underwent surgery for a broken femur.

Davis was taken by ambulance to the Putnam County Hospital, where he was treated and released.

Court documents said the incident may have stemmed from a fight over a cell phone between Rogers and Elwood.