What happened at Walnut and Northeast 5th streets
A motorcyclist was airlifted with what charging language describes as catastrophic injuries after a collision with a pickup truck in Washington, Daviess County. According to WTHI-TV News 10[1], the crash occurred at approximately 3:30 p.m. Thursday, August 27, 2026, at Walnut Street and Northeast 5th Street.
WTHI reported that the motorcyclist was airlifted to a hospital in Evansville, which was not named. The rider has not been publicly identified, and no source states the rider's condition in specific terms.
Indiana State Police reported observing signs of impairment in pickup driver Michael Collins, 41, of Washington. Police transported him to Daviess Community Hospital for a chemical test, and WTHI reported that he was arrested after the test.
The reported charges and ongoing investigation
WTHI reported that Collins was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing serious bodily injury. A WANE 15 report[2] describes two Level 4 felony counts: causing catastrophic injury when operating a motor vehicle with a Schedule I or II controlled substance, and causing serious bodily injury when operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
The two-count framing comes from WANE 15's account and has not been confirmed against a charging document. The single OWI count causing serious bodily injury is confirmed in WTHI's reporting. Every statement about the driver's conduct remains an allegation, and the case is pending. No contributory conduct by the motorcyclist is described in either source. Indiana State Police investigated, and the investigation is ongoing.
What you can do after a catastrophic injury
When an injured person remains in a hospital bed, the early work often falls to family. If that is your situation, ask Indiana State Police for the case number and request the crash report when it is complete. The investigating agency's report can usually be obtained after the investigation, but it does not determine civil liability. This guide explains how to obtain an Indiana crash report.
Ask that the motorcycle, helmet, and riding gear be preserved instead of disposed of. Physical evidence, vehicle data, and available camera footage can be lost or overwritten quickly. A timely preservation request can protect information that photographs alone may not capture. You can also review the types of evidence that may help establish an Indiana crash claim.
Keep every medical record and bill, including the separately billed air-ambulance charge. Maintain a written treatment log and record what the injured person cannot do as recovery continues. A current, factual record is easier to evaluate than an account reconstructed much later.
Why insurance coverage and deadlines matter
Review the injured person's auto and motorcycle policies, especially uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. Indiana insurers must offer UM/UIM coverage under IC 27-7-5-2[3]. Depending on the policy and available liability insurance, this coverage may become important when losses exceed the other driver's limits. More information is available in this guide to uninsured and underinsured accident claims.
Indiana's minimum liability limits under IC 9-25-4-5[4] are 25,000 dollars per person and 50,000 dollars per accident for bodily injury, plus 25,000 dollars for property damage. Notify applicable insurers promptly because policy notice requirements are separate from court deadlines.
Indiana applies modified comparative fault under IC 34-51-2-6[5]. An injured person's recovery is reduced by that person's percentage of fault and barred if the person's fault is greater than 50 percent. Insurers may aggressively defend motorcycle claims by raising questions about speed, lane position, or visibility, even when another driver was arrested. An arrest does not decide civil responsibility.
The general deadline to file an Indiana personal injury lawsuit is two years from the injury under IC 34-11-2-4[6]. A pending criminal case does not extend that deadline. If a government entity becomes implicated, separate Indiana Tort Claims Act notice requirements may apply: 180 days for a political subdivision under IC 34-13-3-8[7] and 270 days for the State under IC 34-13-3-6[8].
Indiana's dram shop statute, IC 7.1-5-10-15.5, may apply when a person or business furnished alcohol with actual knowledge that the person served was visibly intoxicated and that intoxication proximately caused an injury. The charging language reported here references a controlled substance rather than alcohol, so the public reporting does not establish a dram shop claim.
How Delventhal Law Office can help
Delventhal Law Office, LLC is a Fort Wayne personal injury law firm founded by attorney Chad E. Delventhal in 2009. The firm represents motorcyclists and their families across Indiana after crashes causing serious or permanent injury.
If someone in your family was hurt and you are trying to understand medical bills, insurance coverage, evidence, or deadlines, Delventhal Law Office can review the available records and explain the issues in plain terms. You can speak with a Fort Wayne motorcycle accident attorney or request a free case evaluation.
This post is based on public reporting, the investigation may be ongoing, and nothing here is legal advice or creates an attorney-client relationship.
Update: Charges clarified and bond status reported, August 30, 2026
WTHI-TV News 10[1] and the WZDM arrest blotter[9] now report the same two counts against Michael Collins: operating a vehicle while intoxicated resulting in serious bodily injury and operating while intoxicated endangerment. This description supersedes the earlier account of the charges. The reported language has not been checked against charging information filed by the prosecutor, and both counts remain allegations while the case is pending.
WZDM also reports that Collins is being held without bond.
The other original facts above remain accurate. The rider has not been publicly identified, no condition update has been published, and the Indiana State Police investigation may still be ongoing.
