A local sheriff’s deputy cited an Indianapolis man for violating the governor’s stay-at-home order after he disregarded a traffic block during a Saturday morning accident.
The 21-year-old told officers he didn’t realize the entire road was closed when he drove around a deputy and attempted to pass a semi truck that was involved in an accident, blocking traffic, about 1:34 a.m. at the intersection of Rocklane Road and Five Points Road in Greenwood.
The deputy’s vehicle, with its emergency lights activated, indicated the road was closed, but the suspect drove around it, according to a Johnson County Sheriff’s Office report.
The man told the deputy he was driving to his friend’s house, but was aware of the stay-at-home order. The deputy told him to return home after issuing him the citation, the report said.
The accident occurred about 1 a.m. Saturday, when the driver of a semi truck attempted to turn west, but his loaded semi trailer dropped off the side of the road, the trailer wedged against his tractor tires. The trailer blocked both lanes of traffic.
The road was wet and visibility was poor at the time of the accident. While the deputy worked to assist the truck driver, another vehicle traveling eastbound skidded, crashing into the truck, according to the accident report.
The truck driver was standing outside the truck when the second vehicle crashed into it. Neither driver sought medical attention, the report said.
Also over the weekend, two people who were arrested on charges of driving under the influence also face an additional charge for violating Holcomb’s stay-at-home order, said Major Andy Fisher, he sheriff’s office’s road division commander.
Gov. Eric Holcomb signed a mandatory statewide stay-at-home order that began Wednesday. Only essential travel to work, grocery stores and pharmacies is permitted until April 7, but local law enforcement are not actively stopping people for violating the order.
Local agencies instructed officers to not pull over cars on the road just to see if they are violating the stay-at-home order. Violating the travel ban is a misdemeanor, and people will likely only be arrested on that charge if they are arrested for committing other crimes, such as driving under the influence, said Captain Scott Carter of the Franklin Police Department.
The first to face criminal consequences for violating the order was an Indianapolis who was arrested last week in Franklin on various charges, including walking along the railroad, resisting arrest, giving false information and violating the order.
