Danville PD: Individual suspected of driving while intoxicated struck officer’s car

DANVILLE, Ind. — A Danville police officer’s patrol vehicle was struck by a driver who police believe was driving while intoxicated Friday afternoon.

According to the Danville Police Department, the officer was traveling westbound around 1:30 p.m. on East County Road 100 North when a vehicle reportedly rear-ended his fully marked patrol vehicle.

DPD said the officer had observed the driver failing to remain in their lane and was preparing to conduct a traffic stop when his vehicle was struck from behind. The officer did not suffer serious injuries and remained on the scene to assist in the investigation.

Additional officers arrived on the scene and immediately detected signs of impairment from the driver, DPD said. These included impaired coordination, slurred speech and the odor of alcohol. DPD said the driver allegedly declined to participate in a standardized field sobriety test, prompting police to obtain a search warrant for a blood draw.

The individual was placed under arrest and transported to the Hendricks County Jail on the following preliminary charges:

• Operating While Intoxicated (OWI)

• OWI Endangerment

• OWI with a Prior Offense