UPDATE (Feb. 9, 2023): Doug Rutoskey pleaded guilty to operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person. Three other charges against him were dismissed as part of a plea deal. He was sentenced to 1 year, with the bulk of the sentence suspended. In addition, he’ll be on probation and will have his driver’s license suspended for 90 days.
INDIANAPOLIS – An off-duty Stinesville reserve police officer was arrested after Indianapolis Metropolitan police say he hit a vehicle and then left the scene on Indy’s south side.
The incident happened around 1:20 a.m. Sunday near Southport Road and State Road 37. According to witnesses, a police cruiser rear-ended their car and then took off. IMPD confirmed a fully marked patrol vehicle was involved in the crash.
The police car eventually ran into a construction barrier and came to a stop. Photos from the aftermath of the crash showed a police car with a smashed front end.
The police report described the incident as a “hit-and-run crash involving [an] unknown agency police vehicle.”
The driver, identified in the incident report as 36-year-old Doug Rutoskey with the Stinesville Police Department, then got out of his vehicle and tried to walk away, witnesses said.
Police arrested him on preliminary charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and leaving the scene of an accident. IMPD described Rutoskey as a reserve officer with the Stinesville Police Department.
We’ve reached out to Stinesville police for more information. The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office will make a final charging decision in the case.
