Mike Wolanin | The Republic
Columbus police and Bartholomew County Sheriff deputies are investigating this crash which occurred after a pursuit involving a stolen vehicle on National Road in Columbus near Central Avenue.
A pursuit involving a stolen vehicle reported at 8 a.m. ended with the driver crashing into two Duke Energy power poles on National Road (U.S. 31) in front of Fazoli’s in Columbus.
Bartholomew County Sheriff deputies received information at that time that a woman had stolen a vehicle and was northbound on County Road 1050E, said Bartholomew County Sheriff Department spokesman Dane Duke.
Sgt. Andrew Whipker located the vehicle and began following it southbound on State Road 7 near East County Road 300N, Duke said.
He followed the vehicle and attempted a traffic stop on East 25th Street near Flintwood Avenue, but the female driver accelerated away westbound on East 25th Street and then northbound on Home Avenue and southbound on National Road.
As the driver neared Central Avenue, she lost control of the vehicle, going into the northbound lanes and then going off the road into a sidewalk area, striking one Duke Energy utility pole and then striking a second pole, Duke said.
The woman was identified as Devony Thompson, 42, Columbus, Duke said. Her address from a previous arrest earlier this year is listed as 1951 McKinley Ave., according to jail records.
She was transported to Columbus Regional Hospital by ambulance and later to an Indianapolis-area hospital for non-life threatening injuries, he said. Investigators do not believe she was wearing a seat belt.
The Bartholomew County Crash Reconstruction team is investigating the accident.
Duke said preliminary charges of auto theft, resisting law enforcement, reckless driving and driving while suspended with a previous conviction are being forwarded to the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s office.
Duke Energy was at the scene Thursday morning restoring power to the area and repairing the two poles.
