Police: Local man accused of hitting parked car, leaving scene

A local driver was arrested after he was accused of hitting a parked vehicle and fleeing the scene.

Officer Travis Harbaugh was sent to the 1600 block of Lafayette Avenue at 10:45 p.m. Sunday where a witness said the vehicle involved left the scene traveling south on Jonesville Road, said Lt. Matt Harris, Columbus Police Department spokesman.

Harbaugh located the vehicle, which had heavy front-end damage, in the 700 block of Jonesville Road, Harris said.

When talking with the driver, Kole I. Law, 30, 725 W. County Road 200S, officers detected the odor of burned marijuana, Harris said.

A short time later they found a small amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia in the vehicle, Harris said.

After failing several field sobriety tests, Law was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital for a blood draw.

He was arrested on preliminary charges of leaving the scene of a property-damage accident, operating a vehicle while intoxicated, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia, Harris said.

Law’s bond was set at $12,000, jail officials said. He was released from the Bartholomew County Jail on the county probation department’s new protocol that allows eligible defendants to be released from jail without posting bond, jail officials said.