Mom sues, alleges ‘dangerous intersection’ contributed to fiancé’s death

2 women filed lawsuits about Raymond Street intersection near I-65

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) —Two women have filed lawsuits alleging a southside Indianapolis intersection is “hazardous and dangerous.”

Billie Jean Peterson’s fiancé, Dillan Lee Rogers, was hit and killed on February 13, 2025, while crossing the Raymond Street I-65 off-ramp crosswalk.

Tracy Gillard’s husband, Jeff Gillard, died after a pickup truck hit him at the same intersection in October 2025.

On Thursday, Peterson and Gillard filed lawsuits against the State of Indiana, the Indiana Department of Transportation and Marion County alleging they were negligent by failing to ensure the intersection was “reasonably safe to the public.”

According to data from Safe Streets Indy, 13 pedestrians and cyclists have been hit at this intersection since November 2022. Three of those incidents were fatal.

Earl Scruggs died on June 7, 2026 while using his wheelchair at the intersection of Raymond and Shelby Streets, records show.

Indianapolis Metro Police is still looking for a Dodge Ram pickup truck and the suspect in Scruggs’ death.

Indiana’s I-Team spoke with Bille Jean Peterson at the intersection where her fiancé’ died.
“This is Dillan’s memorial,” said Billie Jean. “We come out here and change flowers and pray and remember Dillan.”

Dillan Rogers was riding his bicycle on his way home from work, but he never made it home to Billie Jean and their daughter.

“He was dressed in full reflective gear as always, riding his bike, home,” said Billie Jean. “It happened right here.”

Court documents say a driver exiting I-65 hit and killed Dillan.

Billie Jean wants to protect others from the same fate.

“I’ve seen older people that I’ve had to help cross the street here because they’re walking slow and cars are just zooming around them and it’s outrageous,” said Billie Jean.

Her lawsuit says INDOT and Marion County have a “general duty to exercise reasonable care in the design, construction, maintenance, and repair of its highways and roads for the safety of the public.”

Billie Jean’s attorney, Gina Koeneman, said both the state and city have received complaints about this intersection.

“We have pursued a case against the Indiana Department of Transportation, City of Indianapolis, and the State of Indiana for maintaining or failing to properly maintain these intersections in a safe and reasonable manner,” said Koeneman. “The government has a responsibility to its community to make sure that they’re able to travel safely and that they maintain these roads and these sidewalks and everything that they control in a safe manner, but the reason that this is especially egregious is because this is a known dangerous intersection. They have a history of having pedestrian collisions and pedestrian deaths and injuries.”

Koeneman points out the sidewalks are too close to the road and not well marked.

“We need to paint the pedestrian crosswalk so that it’s visible when people come off of 65 on a very short ramp,” said Koeneman. “People are flying down this exit and they’re coming straight into this intersection to turn, but that’s exactly where the crosswalk is.”

Indiana’s I-Team reached out to both the city and the state and both told us they do not comment on pending litigation.

INDOT says both Raymond Street ramps at I-65 are being improved and reconstructed as part of the I-65 Safety and Efficiency Project.

“I see danger,” said Billie Jean. “I see an intersection that needs a significant amount of work. I see lives being lost whenever I come here and look here.”

Billie Jean won’t take her daughter to the roadside memorial, because she’s afraid the little girl will get hit.

“I don’t want what happened to Dillan to be in vain,” said Billie Jean. “I want his death to make changes for other people.”

Billie Jean is seeking damages and has requested a jury trial.

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