COLUMBUS, Ind. – Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) deputy Billy Bryant initiated a traffic stop Saturday on a vehicle for an equipment violation on southbound US 31, at around 3:30 a.m. The cars pulled over to the left side of the highway, just north of Lowell Road.
With emergency lights activated, the deputy began to exit his patrol car when it was struck from behind by another southbound vehicle. The collision pushed the deputy’s car into the vehicle that he had initially stopped.
After Columbus Police Department (CPD) officers and more deputies arrived, Bryant was taken to Columbus Regional Health for evaluation and released.
Dai Von Terees Coram, 26, of Columbus, was the driver of the vehicle that struck the BCSO car. The suspect was arrested by CPD and charged with operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.
The Columbus Police Department handles the ongoing crash investigation and the criminal investigation involving Coram.