Indianapolis Woman Gets 3-Year Sentence for Two Fatal 2022 Crashes

INDIANAPOLIS — Kelli Anderson, sentenced Thursday for causing two crashes that killed two people, will serve 84 more days in jail, followed by three years of probation. Her driver’s license is also suspended for 10 years. Anderson had already served time while awaiting trial.

In 2022, Anderson caused two fatal crashes. On May 19, she struck and killed Dr. Brian Dillman while he was walking near 49th and Meridian streets. Despite being advised by doctors not to drive due to health concerns, Anderson ignored the warning. Less than a month later, on June 9, she crashed her SUV into stopped cars on N. Keystone Avenue, killing Kiana Burns, a mother of four, who later died after being taken off life support.

Anderson, 58, pleaded guilty to two counts of reckless homicide in March 2025. As part of a plea agreement, she will serve a maximum of three years in prison, with her sentences running concurrently.

Witnesses reported that Anderson’s SUV hit several cars, pushing Burns’s vehicle into oncoming traffic. Anderson, who was uninjured, claimed she blacked out due to medication for allergies and epilepsy.

During the sentencing, Eleanor Dillman, 15 at the time of her father’s death, shared the lasting emotional impact of the crash. She said the hearing was the first step toward closure for both families, adding that this wasn’t just a tragic accident, but a choice made by Anderson to drive.