Two Indianapolis firefighters who were on the scene of a crash on Interstate 65 early Saturday morning were struck and injured by an alleged drunken driver, Indiana State Police said in a press release.
At approximately 3:46 a.m. Saturday, ISP troopers with the Indianapolis District were dispatched to the 117 mile marker of Interstate 65 southbound to investigate a single vehicle crash. While the crash was under investigation, at approximately 4:08 a.m., a secondary crash occurred when the driver of a black 2013 Nissan Altima allegedly drove into the closed crash scene, passing an Indianapolis Fire Department (IFD) firetruck that was blocking the lanes.
After passing the emergency vehicles, the Altima struck the vehicle that was involved in the original single-vehicle crash. The Altima then struck the two firefighters who were working at the scene of the original crash. After the Altima came to a stop, one firefighter was pinned underneath it. Both firefighters who were struck were transported by ambulance to a hospital in Indianapolis. Information about their conditions or extent of injuries was not immediately available.
Trooper Allison Bolde and Trooper Sukpreet Singh responded to the secondary crash involving the injured firefighters. During the course of their investigation, the troopers determined there was probable cause to arrest the driver of the Altima, identified as Christino Rodrigo Alva, 30, from Pueblo, Mexico. Alva was subsequently arrested for the following charges:
- Level 5 felony operating a vehicle while intoxicated resulting in serious bodily injury;
- Class A misdemeanor operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person;
- Class A misdemeanor operating a vehicle while intoxicated with a BAC at or above .15, and;
- Class C misdemeanor operating a vehicle without ever obtaining a license.
Troopers were assisted on scene by officers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
