Peephole employee files lawsuit against man who crashed car into Evansville bar

EVANSVILLE – An employee of The Peephole Bar & Grill who was injured when a car barreled through the front door of the historic Downtown business last month has filed a lawsuit against the driver of the car.

According to a complaint filed in Vanderburgh Circuit Court on Friday by local attorney Neil Chapman, plaintiffs Jeffrey Adams and his wife, Kelley Adams, are suing Tyler Lee Wunderlich, 28, after Wunderlich lost control of his Chevrolet Malibu on Feb. 16 and plowed into the establishment, "striking Jeffrey L. Adams, who was seated at the bar."

They're seeking civil damages for "personal injuries, incurred medical expenses and lost wages," the complaint states.

In the filing, Chapman accuses Wunderlich of testing positive for methamphetamine "the day after the crash." That contradicts statements by law enforcement. Evansville police spokeswoman Sgt. Anna Gray told the Courier & Press last month that a "drug recognition officer on scene ... did not detect impairment."

More:Vehicle drives through the front of historic Evansville bar The Peephole

According to court documents provided to the Courier & Press by Chapman, Wunderlich "tested presumptively positive for methamphetamine" because he "denied use and a sample was sent to the lab for confirmation."

As of Monday morning, Wunderlich hadn't been criminally charged in the crash. The only court case attached to the wreck – aside from the lawsuit – is an infraction accusing him of distracted driving.

Chapman doesn't believe simple inattentiveness explains how Wunderlich ended up driving into the Downtown bar.