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Police say two people overdosed on heroin before crashing car into Columbus house

COLUMBUS, Ind. (WISH) — Two people are now arrested on drug related charges after police said they crashed their car into someone’s house in Columbus.

Police said the driver and passenger overdosed on heroin.

It happened at a home in the 2900 block of 19th Street in Columbus around 10:10 p.m. Sunday night.

The homeowner told 24-Hour News 8 he has never experienced anything like his before. Arnold Burch said he was watching TV in the living room.

He said he looked out the window and saw headlights coming from up the road. He was expecting the car to stop but instead it crashed into his house.

“Even the lady across the street told me this morning her window shook when that happened,” he said.

Burch has lived in his home near 19th and Beam Road for about six years now.

“A lot of times cars will come around the corner and they might even come up on my yard just a little bit because they’re going too fast,” he said. “This has always been a concerned of mine. I never ever thought it would happen like it did last night.”

Burch said he was sitting in his recliner watching TV when he heard the loud crash in the other room.

“I was stunned for a few seconds got up and ran outside to see what had happened,” he said. “The car was there running with two occupants in it and they both were unconscious.”

Burch said he wanted to help the driver and passenger, but didn’t know what to do so he called 911.

Police got to the scene and found 21-year-old Dillion Goff behind the wheel and his passenger 21-year-old Samanta Artis.

Both had blue lips and trouble breathing. Police said they overdosed on heroin before crashing the car.

“This drug epidemic is so bad an old man can’t sit in his house and watch TV you know,” he said. “It’s just a shame. I feel sorry for those people too.”

Police said they had to use Narcan to reverse the effects of the overdoses.

“I’m just thankful that nobody was hurt,” he said. “It’s just material damage which can be fixed.”

According to numbers provided by the Bartholomew County 911 Center, the city and county received 41 initial calls for overdoses last year. So far this year that number has jumped to 113 calls.

“I think people ought to see this and know what happened and this is just one incident,” he said. “You know it could have been a lot worst.”

Burch said he’s still waiting for a contractor to begin work on the repairs to his home.

As for the driver and passenger, police said they were taken to the hospital for treatment. They were arrested after being discharged from the hospital.

Both remain in the Bartholomew County Jail, according to online court records.

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