Editor’s note: The Reporter first published a version of this story on Wednesday. More information has been released, and a complete version of the story appears below.
At approximately 7:12 a.m. on Aug. 20, Noblesville police officers responded to Presley Drive, north of Phillip Drive, in Noblesville in reference to a report of a motor vehicle crash involving one vehicle.
Officers arrived on the scene a short time later and located an unoccupied 2003 Toyota Corolla. Evidence at the scene suggested that the vehicle was traveling northbound on Presley Drive when it collided with two concrete barriers that were positioned where the roadway comes to a dead end.
Officers did not discover any signs of serious personal injury. Despite this evidence, officers searched the immediate area and were unable to locate the driver or any other occupants of the vehicle.
Then, at 12:43 p.m. on Monday, officers returned to the scene of the crash after it was reported by family and friends that the alleged driver had not returned home since the crash. Officers searched the area on foot and deployed a department drone to cover a larger area.
The Noblesville Police Department drone pilot flew several flights over the area and on his fourth flight discovered what appeared to be a body in the solar panel field located west of the crash scene. The solar panel field is owned by Hamilton County and is secured by a six-foot fence that is topped with barbwire and a locked gate. During the investigation, officers discovered a gap in the gate in which a person could gain access to the area. The body was located approximately 200 yards from the crash scene.
Later on Monday, the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office conducted an autopsy and identified the individual as Jeffrey L. Beeson, 62, Noblesville. The coroner’s report determined that the cause of death was associated with trauma consistent with a motor vehicle crash.
This remains an ongoing investigation but preliminary information suggests that Beeson left the scene of the crash and later succumbed to his injuries in the location in which he was found.
A toxicology examination was administered and the results are expected in four to six weeks.