x
Breaking News
More () »

Drunk driver sentenced to 2 years in plea deal for hitting Indiana State Police trooper

Armaandeep Singh took a plea agreement in the crash that put Trooper Azariah Keith in the hospital with severe injuries to his pelvis and leg.

INDIANAPOLIS — A man will serve two years in prison for driving drunk and hitting an Indiana State Police trooper in January.

Armaandeep Singh took a plea agreement in the crash that put Trooper Azariah Keith in the hospital with severe injuries to his pelvis and leg. 

Singh had three years of his sentence suspended and will spend two years on probation. His license will also be suspended for two years after he gets out of prison.

The crash happened around 9:15 p.m. Jan. 20. Keith was helping someone change a flat tire on the side of the road. As Keith put the equipment away, an SUV swerved off the road and struck the trooper.  

NOTE: The above video is from a previous report when Singh was charged.

Credit: Indiana State Police Sgt. John Perrine
ISP Sgt. John Perrine said Trooper Azaraiah Keith is "recovering well" after he was hit by an alleged drunk driver on Jan. 20, 2024.

Court documents indicate Singh may have been drinking on the job. Singh told police he was driving for DoorDash and he stopped for beer in between deliveries. He said he only had one beer, but the breathalyzer test, which registered 0.161, revealed he was more than two times over the legal limit of 0.08.

RELATED: Alleged drunk driver formally charged after striking Indiana State Police trooper on I-65

Investigators noted Singh's eyes were glassy and bloodshot and a strong smell of alcohol on his breath. 

When police searched Singh's car, they found one empty bottle in the front passenger seat and five full bottles. There were also several other beer bottle caps in the car.

Credit: Indiana State Police
Armaandeep Singh, 22, of Indianapolis.

Investigators learned the SUV driven by Singh belonged to his girlfriend. She told police that Singh was homeless and was living in her SUV for two weeks.

She asked troopers if the crash would have an impact on Singh getting his green card. She also told investigators that Singh spent about a year living in California, before moving to Indiana where he has been for the last seven months. 

RELATED: 'He saved me' | Woman helped by Indiana State Police trooper moments before he was hit by a suspected drunk driver

Singh was charged with two counts of causing serious bodily injury when operating a vehicle while intoxicated and one count of reckless driving causing bodily injury. With the plea agreement, he only pled guilty to a single charge of causing serious bodily injury when operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

Before You Leave, Check This Out