ALEXANDRIA — Two people were taken to an Indianapolis hospital with life-threatening injuries after a crash Wednesday in Alexandria, according to police.
The crash happened near North Park Avenue and Washington Street, Alexandria Police Department Chief Terry Richwine said in a press release. Investigators believe a driver crossed the center line and struck a vehicle head-on with two people inside.
The identities of the two people who were injured haven't been released. The driver who struck them was not injured.
After the driver agreed, police used a SoToxa system, a new tool officers have to detect the presence of illegal drugs while on the road, which indicated the presence of amphetamines and methamphetamine in the driver's body, Richwine said. The driver displayed signs of impairment and admitted to recently using methamphetamine.
Witnesses told officers the driver appeared to be sleeping while driving before the crash, Richwine said. They were arrested and preliminarily charged with two counts of operating while intoxicated causing serious bodily injuries. Formal charges haven't been filed, according to online court records.
More than 50 law enforcement agencies were given SoToxa Mobile Test Systems from the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute.
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The device has been used during other traffic stops and one other crash, APD Detective Brian Holtzleiter said. This was the first crash of this severity where Alexandria police officers used the device.
