Drunk driver who police say killed two people has several prior OWI charges

Published: Jan. 30, 2023 at 6:54 PM EST
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FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) - The man police say is responsible for killing two people in a drunk driving accident had his initial court hearing, Monday.

The coroner said 40-year-old Arvey died along with 49-year-old Matthew P. Tustison in a crash near Arcola and Yellow River roads.

Police say just before 10 p.m. Sunday, two cars crashed into each other at the intersection and caught fire. The pair died in the wreckage.

Trevor M. Bradley, the man charged in connection with the deadly crash on Jan. 15, was arrested on Jan. 27, and is due to face a judge Monday.

The 32-year-old Warsaw man was arrested on two felony charges of causing death when operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.

In court papers, police say Bradley was driving east on Arcola Road, near Yellow river road when his car went left of the center lane, colliding with the oncoming vehicle.

Police say Bradley was seriously injured in the crash. According to the arrest record, police say three witnesses told investigators they stopped to help pull Bradley from the vehicle after the collision. The report says he was trapped or pinned inside his vehicle.

In an interview, court records say Bradley told police “I killed two people”. Police say he had a blood alcohol content of 0.22% when tested at the hospital.

The 21Investigates team is digging deeper into Bradley’s prior involvements with the law. This isn’t the first time Bradley has faced drunk driving charges.

Bradley has several operating while intoxicated charges dating back to 2018 where he was charged with an OWI while endangering a person in Hamilton County. He was found guilty and sentenced to work release.

More recently, Bradley has a pending OWI charge from September in Dekalb County.

Our review of court records show, at the time of the deadly Arcola crash, Bradley had specialized driving privileges through a Kosciusko County court order stating he could only operate a vehicle with an ignition interlock device. That means Bradley had to pass a breathalyzer in order for his car to start.

Our team reached out to the Kosciusko County prosecuting attorney to get more information about that court order but have not heard back.