- Shortly before 10:00 PM on January 10th, 2019 Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the intersection of US 41 and Baseline Road for a three vehicle crash where one of the involved drivers was rendered unconscious. The initial responding deputy located the causative driver, Jared Cole, attempting to flee the scene on foot. The deputy was able to secure Cole and through keen observation quickly suspected that Cole was likely intoxicated. The drivers of each vehicle (including Cole) were transported to local hospitals for injuries believed to be serious, but not life threatening.
A witness told deputies that she was traveling northbound on US 41 near Inglefield Road when Cole’s grey Chevrolet Silverado passed her in the right hand lane at a noticeably high rate of speed. The witness observed Cole’s truck swerve into the grassy median separating the highway as it careened north. The witness did not actually observe the collisions, but based upon the available evidence it appears that Cole’s truck collided into the rear end of a black Chevrolet Cruz that was in the turn lane preparing to turn left onto Baseline Road. Cole’s truck then slammed into a grey Chevrolet Equinox that had been stopped in front of the Cruz. The driver of the Chevrolet Cruz lost consciousness after the impact and was treated for possible head trauma.
The collision left US 41 closed for nearly an hour while emergency personnel tended to the injured, and recovery crews cleared the roadway which had been littered with debris and fluids. Pursuant to Indiana state law regarding suspected driver impairment and crashes involving serious bodily injury or death, all of the involved drivers were requested to consent to toxicology screening to be completed by the Indiana Department of Toxicology. A preliminary toxicology screen conducted by the hospital revealed that Cole’s blood alcohol concentration was more than two times the legal limit. The toxicology screen also indicated the presence of THC (the psychoactive component of cannabis) within his blood. The investigation will remain open pending the official toxicology results. Based upon the preliminary information Jared Cole was arrested and charged with several counts associated with operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and for attempting to flee the scene of a crash.
Arrested: Jared Cole (imaged above), 30, of Princeton, IN is currently being held in the Vanderburgh County Jail without bond until his initial court appearance.
The above images depict some of the damage caused by the impact from Cole’s Chevrolet Silverado.
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