In a car crash or other incident involving multiple vehicles the police may investigate whether the driver of any of the vehicles is under the influence of or intoxicated by alcohol or drugs, and are not limited to investigating and arresting only the driver who was at fault in the accident, for example.
In Indiana, as in other states, law enforcement officers have the authority to investigate any driver involved in a car crash for potential intoxication or impairment due to alcohol or drugs. This means that after a multi-vehicle incident, police may conduct field sobriety tests, breathalyzer tests, or other assessments to determine if any of the drivers are under the influence, regardless of who is at fault for the accident. If there is probable cause to believe a driver is impaired, the officer can make an arrest for driving under the influence (DUI), which is known as Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) under Indiana law. The state's OWI statutes are primarily codified in Indiana Code Title 9, Article 30, which outlines the legal limits for blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and the penalties for operating a vehicle while intoxicated.