Columbus man rear-ends stationary police cruiser, throws drugs out window: Sheriff

COLUMBUS, Ind. — A Columbus man allegedly threw a baggie of fentanyl out the window of his vehicle after rear-ending a stationary police cruiser on Tuesday.

David Caldwell, 69, was booked into Bartholmew County Jail on preliminary charges of possession of paraphernalia and possession of narcotics while in possession of a firearm.

According to the Bartholmew County Sheriff’s Department, a deputy was sitting at the intersection of 10th Street and Whitfield Drive when another vehicle rear-ended his sheriff’s department patrol cruiser.

The driver, later identified as Caldwell, told the deputy his foot had slipped off the brake.

According to the deputy, Caldwell threw baggies of suspected drugs underneath his vehicle in an attempt to hide the narcotics. The baggies were recovered and tested, determined to be fentanyl.

A search of the Columbus man’s vehicle uncovered a pipe used for smoking narcotics along with a firearm. Based on a photograph supplied by the sheriff’s department, the firearm appears to resemble an antique, single-shot .410 gauge pistol.

Caldwell is being held a ,000 bond.

According to court records, Caldwell appears to have been charged in 2024 with possession of meth. In December, he was released on his own recognizance and prohibited from driving unless granted a medical release from a doctor. Caldwell was also ordered to obtain a Substance Abuse Evaluation.