(WHAS11) - Police say a Seymour police officer pulling a Drug Abuse Resistance Education, or DARE, trailer crashed into another car and a tree while driving drunk.
Indiana State Police are investigating, since the accident involved a Seymour officer, but happened in Salem, Indiana.
On Friday, John Newcomb was arraigned in Washington County Court on a charge of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.
"We woke up to the loudest crash, bang, that I'd ever heard in my life," said Tina Robbins, who says she thought she heard a lightning bolt hit her house.
When she looked out into the street in front of her Main Street house, she realized that a pick-up truck ran off the road, hit a parked vehicle and then struck a tree.
"There was the truck, right there, wrapped around the tree with, of course, the Seymour Police DARE trailer on the back," said Robbins.
Police say the truck was driven by Seymour Police Officer John Newcomb, who they say admitted drinking and failed several field sobriety tests.
According to a report, his blood alcohol content was 0.14, nearly twice the legal limit.
Police say Newcomb received minor injuries, but refused treatment.
"He just kind of sat there. I don't know if he was concerned about it or not. He just kind of sat there on the wall, kind of holding his head a little," said Robbins.
His dog was thrown into the windshield during the crash, but appeared to be fine Friday.
Newcomb is Seymour Police Department's School Resource Officer, who is responsible for teaching hundreds of children about the dangers of using alcohol and driving.
Seymour's Police Chief didn't want to do an on-camera interview, but told WHAS11 that Newcomb had asked to borrow the DARE trailer to move from his home in Salem to a new residence in Seymour, to be closer to his job.
He was not on duty when the crash happened.
"He's definitely not a good influence on children, especially after the kids hearing him speak at the schools that he goes to and him getting into trouble for drinking and driving," said Robbins.
WHAS11 went to Newcomb's home Friday, but he wasn't there.
He remains on paid administrative leave until a hearing scheduled for August 11.
