COLUMBUS, Ind. — A local man was arrested by Bartholomew County Sheriff deputies after a vehicle pursuit that ended in a crash.
At 11:32 p.m. Tuesday, sheriff Deputy Dylan Prather saw a possible impaired driver near the intersection of 10th Street and McClure Road and activated his lights to initiate a traffic stop, said Sgt. Dane Duke, sheriff department spokesman.
The driver of the vehicle, later identified as Justin Bowles, 41, of 4692 W. Ridge Drive, Columbus, disregarded the deputy and a vehicle pursuit began, Duke said.
Bowles led deputies on a chase throughout the northern part of Columbus before turning off his vehicle’s lights and driving through a farm field, Duke said. Deputies lost sight of the vehicle as it entered the field however found the vehicle crashed into a pile of shrubbery near Warren Drive and Taxiway G.
A perimeter of law enforcement officers was set up and BSCO K-9 Frizko was deployed to locate Bowles, Duke said. A short time later, Bowles was found hiding along the fence line near the airport and was apprehended by K-9 Frizko.
Bowles was transported to Columbus Regional Hospital for medical evaluations then transported to Bartholomew County Jail where he remains on a 48-hour hold. Deputies located multiple pills, a large amount of currency, more than 60 grams of methamphetamine and more than 10 grams of fentanyl, Duke said.
Bowles is being held on preliminary charges of:
Operating while intoxicated–Drugs
Operating while intoxicated — endangerment
Reckless driving
Resisting law enforcement with a vehicle
Possession of a Schedule II controlled substance
Possession of a Schedule IV controlled substance
Possession of a Legend Drug
Dealing in a Schedule IV controlled substance
Dealing in a Schedule II controlled substance
Leaving the scene of an accident
Dealing in methamphetamine
Possession of methamphetamine
Dealing in a narcotic drug
Possession of a narcotic drug
For more on this story, see Thursday’s Republic.
