Woman arrested for crash
A Putnam County woman whose husband died following a car accident in Marion Township in October has been arrested and charged with allegedly causing the crash.
Tonya M. Benassi, 34, Fillmore, was taken into police custody Wednesday night on charges of reckless homicide and criminal recklessness. Both are class C felonies.
Investigators say Benassi drove her late 1990s Chevrolet Camaro at almost 100 mph on CR 75 North (Right-of-Way Road) before it crashed at the intersection with CR 400 East. According to witness reports, the vehicle became airborne and landed on a set of railroad tracks.
The Oct. 12 crash severely injured Benassi and her husband, 34-year-old Tracy L. Benassi. Three days later, Tracy died from his injuries at an Indianapolis hospital.
Putnam County Prosecutor's Investigator Charles Bollinger conducted an interview with one of Tonya Benassi's friends who, according to a probable cause affidavit, was told by Tonya that she and Tracy were arguing at the time of the crash and that Tonya, who was driving, became angry and "floored the vehicle."
Tonya Benassi, according to the probable cause document, told investigators that she was in fact speeding at the time of the crash but that she didn't know how fast she was going.
She blamed Tracy for causing the crash, telling investigators that he told her to slow down and put the car into neutral, causing it to go out of control.
Investigator Bollinger told the BannerGraphic that there were no skid marks to indicate the vehicle had been thrown into neutral or that any attempts to stop the car were made.
Bollinger also asked Benassi if she told her friend that she intentionally floored the vehicle. According to the probably cause affidavit, Benassi told Bollinger that "she could have made the statement."
Benassi could make her first court appearance today.