INDIANAPOLIS — An Indiana State Trooper was struck by a vehicle on the interstate in Indianapolis Saturday night.
According to an Indiana State Police spokesperson, the trooper was hit while he was outside his car on I-65 southbound near 30th Street and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street. ISP has indicated the trooper was transported from the scene to Eskenazi Hospital where is currently in stable, but serious condition.
In a post to X, formerly known as Twitter, Indiana State Police Sergeant John Perrine reported that the trooper involved in the crash suffered serious injuries. The incident occurred at approximately 9:17 p.m.
During a media briefing held at approximately 11:30 p.m. Saturday, Perrine identified the trooper who was hit as 22-year-old Azariah Keith — a one-year ISP veteran. ISP reported that Keith is expected to survive, despite the severe injuries he sustained in his lower extremities.
Perrine reported that Keith was helping a motorist change a tire before a man driving a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox struck Keith. According to Perrine, an additional trooper had responded to the area to help Keith change the motorist’s tire. That trooper blocked the left lane of the interstate while Keith assisted the motorist.
As he approached the scene, the driver identified as 22-year-old Armaandeep Singh, swerved around the trooper blocking the left lane and lost control of the vehicle. Police say Singh crashed into the concrete median barrier before striking Trooper Keith and his police car. Trooper Keith was immediately tended to by the other trooper on scene until medics arrived.
The trooper blocking the left lane was not struck.
“This was a friend and this was a colleague,” Perrine said. “This was a father. This was a husband, son. He nearly lost his life tonight, and we are certainly thankful that he didn’t, but we could be talking about something certainly different right now if the circumstances were just a little different.”
ISP arrested Armaandeep Singh on preliminary charges of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated causing serious bodily injury, operating a vehicle with an ACE of .15 or more, and reckless driving. ISP reported that Singh’s Blood Alcohol Content was believed to have been 0.16 at the time of the crash which is twice the legal limit.
The crash caused significant traffic tie-ups in the area while police investigated the incident. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department assisted ISP at the scene, blocking roadways and intersections and helping expedite Keith’s transport from the scene to the hospital.
Perrine said Keith and his family were at the hospital together Saturday night. State police indicated that he was alert and conscious at the time of the media briefing.
“This could’ve easily been the driver of the vehicle out changing their own tire,” Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter said in a second media briefing. “Please, please, please pay attention to those lights and just slow down, just slow down.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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