Indiana Trooper In Near Fatal Accident During DUI Stop

An officer with the Indiana state police miraculously avoided the fate that recently befell a trooper in Massachusetts who was killed by a drunk driver during a DUI traffic stop.

Indiana State Trooper Christopher Townsend had just arrested a man early Saturday morning on suspicion of DUI on I-65 northbound in Indianapolis when his cruiser was rear-ended by an SUV. The trooper’s car was parked on the shoulder at the time and had its emergency lights going. The cruiser was totaled in the crash; fortunately, the trooper only suffered a cut on the head and similarly his prisoner only received minor injuries.

"Once I got the subject, the drunk driver, into my car, I seat belted him in, and when I got in my car, it wasn’t five or six seconds after that before I was struck in the rear by another truck," Trooper Townsend told the news media. The trooper also said that he probably would have been killed if he was standing outside his vehicle.

The driver of the SUV was charged with DUI and failure to yield to an emergency vehicle. Police say he was traveling at 70 mph.

As we approach the long July 4th weekend, every Hoosier must get the message loud and clear: Please don’t drink and drive. You could ruin your own life as well as those of the innocent victims of your irresponsibility.

If you or a family member have been injured in a highway accident by a driver operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and drugs, it is important to retain legal counsel with the experience and skills needed to obtain full compensation for your injuries. At Young and Young in Indianapolis, our Indiana person injury lawyers have represented thousands of Hoosiers with serious auto accident injuries. We have more than 55 years of experience waiting to help.