Wrong-way drunk driver crashes into dump truck driven by Greencastle man

INDIANAPOLIS — While going about what should have been a routine overnight shift at work, a Greencastle man suddenly found the dump truck he was driving on a collision course with a passenger car Sunday morning.

William Honey of Greencastle was not injured when an allegedly intoxicated Indianapolis man collided head-on with the Honey’s dump truck on Interstate 65 in Indianapolis.

At 2:55 a.m., Indiana State Trooper Jonathan Troyer was patrolling a construction zone on I-65 near Lafayette Road when he came across what appeared to be a disabled vehicle on the shoulder.

Two of the three northbound lanes were closed for construction in this area.

Troyer stopped behind the car with his lights on. As he walked up to the car, it started to move forward and turn left at a slow speed. Troyer yelled at the driver to stop, but the driver then put the car in reverse and backed into the guardrail.

Troyer then ran up to the front of the car and was knocking on the window with his flashlight trying to get the the driver to stop. The Pontiac Grand Am then sped away, driving southbound in closed northbound lanes of I-65. The Pontiac was in the closed two lanes of the construction zone approaching a work area. Troyer then got back into his car and was attempting to catch up to the Pontiac.

At this time, a northbound dump truck driven by Honey pulled into the construction zone and into the path of the car. The Pontiac struck the front of the dump truck.

Neither Honey, nor the Pontiac driver, who identified himself as Jonathan Hipolito, 20, was injured.

Further investigation determined Hipolito was intoxicated. He was transported to Eskenazi Hospital by ambulance for further evaluation and a blood draw to test for intoxication.

Hipolito was arrested on the preliminary charges of minor in consumption of alcohol, possession of marijuana with a prior conviction, unlawful operation of a vehicle in a work zone, operating while intoxicated endangering a person with a prior conviction and driving with a suspended license with a prior conviction.

Hipolito was also issued citations for wrong way on one-way road, failure to obey signs and markings and operating without financial responsibility.

Formal charges will be determined by the Marion County Prosecutor’s Officer.