2 hurt in collision with police car

COLUMBUS - A Columbus woman and a Bartholomew County Sheriff's Department officer were injured in a two-vehicle wreck around 2:50 p.m. Saturday near Columbus.

Indiana State Police Trooper Brent Lykins responded to the crash involving Bartholomew County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Dean Johnson, 44, Columbus, and Rachel Gast, 28, at Roosevelt Street and Blessing Road, a T-intersection a few miles south of Columbus and east of Indiana 11.

A stop sign is posted on Roosevelt Street as it intersects with Blessing Road.

Preliminary investigation showed Johnson was on duty driving a fully marked 2007 Ford Crown Victoria patrol car when he was southbound on Roosevelt.

When Johnson came up to the stop sign at Roosevelt and Blessing, Johnson turned west onto Blessing where Gast was eastbound approaching the intersection in a purple 1996 Chrysler van.

Markings on the road indicate Gast's van was left of center as Johnson pulled onto Blessing Road. The front driver's side of Gast's van struck the front bumper of Johnson's car, tearing it off. Her van continued southeast for a short distance until it ran into a large pine tree on the south side of Blessing.

Gast, complaining of pain in her hip and leg area, was taken by ambulance to Columbus Regional Hospital. Johnson was checked out at the hospital and released.

Agencies assisting at the scene were Bartholomew County Sheriff's Department, Columbus Township Volunteer Fire Department and Columbus Regional Hospital Ambulance Service.