UIndy Professor Dies Days After Carmel Police Chase Crash
CARMEL, Ind. — An Indianapolis man has died a few days after a police pursuit and crash in Carmel in June this year.
47-year-old Kevin McKelvey was a father of three, University of Indianapolis professor, poet, writer, and farmer.
On June 14th, McKelvey was driving his 12-year-old son, Kiran, home from martial arts practice. They were heading north on Meridian Street when a southbound police chase for a stolen SUV, driven by 24-year-old Alexander Mitchell. Mitchell, with a history of drug and traffic offenses but no prior arrests, crossed the centerline, hitting McKelvey’s car head-on. The impact on the rain-slick road sent McKelvey’s vehicle spinning into another car driven by Guilia Carloni.
While all four victims initially survived the collision, McKelvey hit his head so hard that police say he couldn’t recall where he was or personal details. Despite this, days after the crash, McKelvey seemed optimistic, texting a friend on June 26th that he felt lucky to be alive and not to have broken a femur.
However, his condition took a sudden and fatal turn on June 29th. McKelvey began experiencing severe headaches and told his wife, Lakshmi Hasandka, about it, and he passed away after medical personnel responded to this. The Marion County Coroner’s Office says the cause of death was a pulmonary embolism with blood clots forming in his veins, traveling to his lungs, and blocking blood flow. The coroner’s officer has directly attributed these clots and McKelvey’s death to the injuries from the car accident.
Court documents say Mitchell had a past of drug possession, drug dealing, and traffic violations, but no arrests for his crimes. Mitchell was charged with resisting law enforcement, criminal recklessness, and additional charges after the crash.
