BEDFORD — A Mitchell man is facing multiple felony charges related to operating a vehicle while intoxicated, resulting in injury, stemming from a severe two-vehicle accident that occurred in June 2025. Toxicology reports recently returned indicate the driver had multiple illegal and controlled substances in his system at the time of the crash.
Darin L. Compton, 54, has been charged with OWI causing moderate bodily injury and OWI endangerment following an investigation by the Bedford Police Department.
The incident occurred on June 17, 2025, at approximately 6:34 p.m., at the intersection of State Road 37 and Patrick Robbins Way. Bedford Police Officer J. Landon Jones arrived to find two extensively damaged vehicles, one of which had rolled over.
The investigation revealed that Jeremy Eisele and his passenger, Heather Eisele, were struck while attempting to turn onto State Road 37. Due to the severity of the impact, the Bedford Fire Department was required to use the “Jaws of Life” to extract Jeremy Eisele from his vehicle. Both Eisele and his wife were transported to IU Health Bedford, complaining of full-body pain.
Two witnesses on the scene told Officer Jones that they were behind the Eisele vehicle and confirmed they had a green light. They stated that Compton’s vehicle “ran the red light and struck Jeremy’s vehicle at a high rate of speed,” causing the Eisele vehicle to roll over two to three times before coming to rest in the grass median.
Upon contact with Compton, the driver of a dark blue Ford F-150, Officer Jones observed blood on his face, shirt, and arm from a head laceration. Compton appeared confused and spoke slowly, advising that he only remembered looking down while driving north on State Road 37 and then seeing the Eiseles’ vehicle in front of him before the collision. He could not recall if his traffic light was green or red.
Due to the severity of his head injury and the crash itself, medical personnel at IU Health Bedford determined that Compton needed to be life-lined to Ascension St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis for specialized care.
While a preliminary blood test for alcohol returned a “none detected” result for Compton, further drug analysis conducted by the Indiana State Department of Toxicology provided the crucial evidence for the charges.
On July 17, 2025, BPD received the final toxicology report for Darin Compton, which confirmed his blood contained methamphetamine, amphetamine, and alprazolam.
The toxicology report for the crash victim, Jeremy Eisele, showed “none detected” for both drugs and alcohol.
Based on the independent witness accounts of Compton running a red light at a high rate of speed, combined with the presence of multiple controlled and illegal substances in his blood, Officer Jones filed the affidavit for probable cause, requesting an arrest warrant on the felony charges. Compton was detained on November 3.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This article is based on the information provided in the Probable Cause Affidavit and does not represent a final determination of guilt or innocence.
