Multiple 911 callers lead Indiana troopers to arrest semi truck driver for operating while intoxicated

Indiana State Police (ISP) arrested a truck driver after receiving multiple reports of a semi truck operating erratically in Tippecanoe County.

Shortly before 1 p.m. on August 9, 2026, ISP received 911 calls about a tractor trailer “traveling erratically and having difficulty maintaining its lane.”

ISP Trooper Fike located the suspect semi truck on southbound I-65 at mile marker 175 and also observed that the vehicle was having difficulty maintaining its lane.

A traffic stop was conducted, and Trooper Fike made contact with truck driver Mykola Velga, 63, of Brooklyn, New York

“During the traffic stop, Trooper Fike developed probable cause to believe Velga was operating the vehicle while under the influence of alcohol,” said ISP’s Lafayette District.

Velga was booked into the Tippecanoe County Jail on a charge of Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated with a BAC of .15 or More, a Class A Misdemeanor.

Additionally, a commercial vehicle inspection was conducted that resulted Velga being placed out-of-service.

Troopers used the incident to remind commercial vehicle operators to drive sober.

“Operating a commercial motor vehicle while impaired poses a significant danger to other motorists due to the size and weight of these vehicles. The Indiana State Police reminds motorists that impaired driving can have serious and potentially deadly consequences, particularly when it involves a commercial motor vehicle traveling on an interstate,” ISP said.