Woman fatally injured in crash on Sweetwater Trail
HAMBLEN TWP. — An 84-year-old woman was fatally injured in a crash on Sweetwater Trail April 18.
Brown County Sheriff’s Deputy Chris Griggs responded to the crash just after 1 p.m. and reported finding a vehicle that had driven left of center before going off the road and striking a tree, an accident report states.
A witness to the crash said they were driving behind the vehicle and it appeared the driver, Virginia Knieper, had fallen asleep while driving.
Knieper was transported to the hospital for further treatment of internal injuries. She later passed away due to her injuries at IU Health Methodist Hospital, according to an obituary.
Her vehicle was towed from the scene.
Traffic stop results in OWI arrest, charges
A man from Nashville has been charged with two Level 6 felonies for operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
On March 28, Brown County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Horn responded to a report of trespassing on Olsen Lane.
The caller said he and his girlfriend had a protective order against Brian Luna, 52, and that he lived next door. The caller showed Horn a time-stamped video from the same day of Luna kicking over stacked boards on that property, a probable cause affidavit states.
Luna was not home and Horn reported knowing from past experiences that his driver’s license was suspended. When Horn was leaving the neighborhood he reported seeing Luna driving a black Jeep.
Horn then conducted a traffic stop. He reported that Luna’s eyes were bloodshot, his speech slurred and that he could smell alcohol on him.
According to the probable cause affidavit, there was also an open beer bottle in the floorboard of the vehicle. Luna said he had just opened that beer and that he only had one to drink. A breath test showed his blood-alcohol content to be 0.19, which is more than twice the legal limit of 0.08.
Luna also failed two field sobriety tests, but passed the walk and turn test. He was then transported to the Brown County jail and a certified breath test showed his BAC to be 0.20.
Luna was formally charged on March 30. He was charged with felonies due to prior OWI charges in 2021.
Columbus man faces multiple felonies
A man from Columbus has been charged with three felonies after a crash last summer.
On July 31 Nashville Police Officer Lindsey Downing responded to a crash with injuries at the intersection of Mt. Liberty and Valley Branch roads. Once on the scene, she reported finding a vehicle sitting at an angle in the road with heavy front-end damage and another that was off the road with front driver’s side damage.
Downing reported that the driver of the first vehicle, 32-year-old Collin Schmidt, had pin point pupils, slurred speech, red and glassy eyes and that his balance was unstable, according to the probable cause affidavit.
He was reportedly leaning against the vehicle to stand up and could not hold a conversation. He told police he had not had any alcohol that day.
Downing made contact with the other driver who said she was traveling southbound on Mt. Liberty Road when Schmidt’s vehicle appeared to lose control and began to spin before striking her head on. She said she did not need medical treatment for an injury to her right leg.
Schmidt was transported to Columbus Regional Hospital by ambulance for further treatment. Schmidt then consented to a blood draw at the hospital. Schmidt also reportedly told hospital staff he had taken methadone.
Schmidt was formally charged on March 30 with three Level 6 felonies for operating a vehicle while intoxicated and with a Schedule I or II controlled substance or its metabolite in the blood. Schmidt was charged with felonies due to prior OWI convictions in Brown County in 2019.
Local woman charged with drug possession
A Brown County woman was arrested on multiple warrants and charged with a Level 6 felony for possession of methamphetamine last month.
Two arrest warrants had been issued out of Johnson County for 31-year-old Brandy Couch on March 24. Couch was believed to be staying at a home on Mt. Liberty Road, according to a probable cause affidavit by Brown County Sheriff’s Deputy Joshua Stargell.
On March 30, Stargell responded to a medical emergency at the same home. Upon arrival Stargell made contact with the patient who said Couch was there in a back bedroom.
Stargell then received permission to go into the home and make contact with Couch.
The room Couch was said to be in was padlocked from the inside. Another individual at the home then wanted the police to leave. A search warrant was then granted for the home and Couch was arrested.
Nashville Police Officer Jessica Bolin arrived on scene and searched Couch. Bolin reported finding methamphetamine in a pants pocket.
Couch was booked into Brown County jail. She was formally charged on March 30.
