PORTLAND Ind. — (8-4-23) Michael Leslie Brown (28) Portland was charged Thursday in Jay Circuit Court with causing death while (Level 4 felony) driving while intoxicated and (Level 3 felony) leaving the scene of an accident and driving while his license was suspended. A blood test indicated that Brown’s blood-alcohol content was at 0.088… 0.08 or higher are considered intoxicated

Jay County Sheriff’s Deputies reported that Brown on June 6 was traveling on Jay County Road 700-S near State Line Road when his vehicle left the road and struck a tree.

A passenger Devon Ross Drumm (18) of rural Bryant, was fatally injured.

Brown reportedly fled from the scene on foot but was later found. A deputy who spoke to him at IU Health Jay Hospital said the Portland man was —

“covered in blood and had many abrasions and cuts.”

Brown told the deputy he “panicked” when he ran from the crash scene. He said his view of the roadway had been diminished by dust after another vehicle had passed his.

Obituary of Devon Drumm

Devon Ross Drumm, age 18, of rural Bryant, Indiana was tragically taken from us on Sunday June 4, 2023.  He was born in Portland on November 11, 2004 the son of Jason and Tara (Wise) Drumm.  Devon worked at Teledyne Portland Forge and also Starlight Skating Ring in Winchester.  He was a 2023 Jay County High School graduate.  He was generous, creative, loving, good hearted young man who would drop everything to help anyone who needed it.  He loved to make people laugh.  He made friends of all ages wherever he went.  No matter who you were, he was a kind soul to everyone.  Devon loved music and figured out how to play things on the piano or guitar.  He loved skating, kayaking and Dodge trucks, as well as tearing things apart and then putting them back together again.  He enjoyed spending time with all his loving friends and family.

Devon made sure everyone never had a dull moment, from cracking jokes to the circle game, and just overall being his goofy self.  He would bring food wherever he went and make sure to share with everyone.  Devon was very excited to be an uncle in September.  When out with friends, he’d talk about all the fun things he was wanting to teach and do with his nephew.  He will be forever missed by all who knew him.

Surviving are his parents Jason and Tara Drumm, sister Victoria Drumm (companion Kellen Carmack),  Paternal grandparents George and Irma Drumm of Portland and Herb and Judy Newsome of Redkey, Maternal grandparents Toni Vinson (fiancé Rich Rockwell) of Pennville and Barnie and Reba Honkomp of Peru, Indiana, Several aunts, uncles, cousins and a nephew on the way.  He was preceded in death by grandfathers Norm Vinson and Don Wise.

Funeral services will be Saturday June 10, 2023 at 10:00 AM in the Baird-Freeman Funeral Home with burial in the IOOF Cemetery in Pennville.  Visitation will be Friday from 2:00 – 7:00 PM and one hour prior to the services on Saturday.  Memorials can be made to Midwest Pet Refuge.