Trout
A Franklin man was arrested after deputies say he hit a bicyclist with his car while intoxicated earlier this week.
Jay A. Trout, 61, was arrested on a charge of operating while intoxicated resulting in serious bodily injury, a felony, on Tuesday evening. Formal charges have not yet been filed.
First responders were called to the intersection of S. County Road 400 West and W. County Road 100 South in Union Township around 5:23 p.m. Tuesday for a reported crash. When they arrived, they found a bicyclist on the ground bleeding next to a truck with front-end damage, according to a Johnson County Sheriff’s Office report.
The bicyclist, who was wearing a helmet, said he was unsure of what had happened, other than that he turned and then was struck from behind by the truck. He was later taken to an Indianapolis hospital for treatment of his injuries, the report says.
Trout, who was the driver of the truck, told deputies he was traveling south on County Road 400 West approaching County Road 100 South while the bicyclist was traveling east on County Road 100 South. He said the bicyclist allegedly did not stop at the stop sign, and that they turned in front of him to head south on County Road 400 West, the report shows.
Trout told deputies he was going under the 40 mph speed limit but was unable to avoid striking the bicyclist from behind. He called 911 immediately after the accident, and deputies observed skid marks on the ground.
Deputies asked Trout if he had been drinking prior to the accident, and he said he had one beer a few hours before the crash. Trout then took a preliminary breath test, which showed his blood alcohol level at 0.172 — over two times the legal limit, according to the report.
Trout underwent other sobriety tests as well, and he eventually told deputies that he had too much to drink, the report shows.
Later, he said that while he had too much to be driving, the crash was not his fault. He insisted it was the bicyclist’s fault for failing to stop at the stop sign and pulling out in front of him, the report says.
Deputies say a criminal history search showed Trout has a previous conviction for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. He previously plead guilty to the charge in May 2017 in Shelby County.
