COLUMBUS, Indiana — A Columbus man charged after a car-pedestrian accident that killed a Cummins Inc. engineer and severely injured his wife is now accused of being under the influence of methamphetamine at the time.
The new charge of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of a Schedule 1 or 2 substance was entered into the record against Michael B. DeMaio, of 2023 Chandler Lane, this week during a Bartholomew Superior Court 2 hearing.
The charge is a Class C misdemeanor, which carries a penalty of up to 60 days in jail, as well as a fine of up to $500, Superior Court Judge Kathleen “Kitty” Tighe Coriden said.
DeMaio, 37, had already been facing six felonies in connection with the March 26 accident that resulted in the death of Anshul Sharma, 30, and injuries to his wife, Samira Bhardwaj, 28, of Columbus. The two were struck by a minivan while walking in the northbound, buffered bike lane along Taylor Road near the entrance to the Four Seasons Retirement Center.
Read more in Thursday’s print edition of The Republic.
