ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. - A man was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence when he hit a pedestrian near the campus of the University of Notre Dame on September 10, 2022, according to the probable cause affidavit. The pedestrian died from his injuries a week later.  

Donald Culpepper, 33, was charged on January 23 with causing death when operating a motor vehicle with a schedule I or II controlled substance.

At 6:52 p.m. on September 10, 2022, officers with the South Bend Police Department responded to a crash involving a pedestrian at the intersection of Eddy Street and Corby Blvd.

Witnesses said Thomas Keyser was crossing Eddy Street at the crosswalk when he was hit by a vehicle driven by Culpepper, reports said.

Surveillance video showed Keyser approach the intersection with a few other men.

The other men stopped and Keyser continued into the intersection.

When he first began crossing, the signal for Corby Blvd traffic was green.

Seconds after he entered the intersection, the signal turned yellow.

At that time, Culpepper tried to make a left-hand turn from Corby onto Eddy Street and allegedly struck Keyser, reports said.

Keyser was taken to the hospital and died on September 17.

An autopsy revealed Keyser suffered a right temporal skull fracture, a cerebral cortical contusion and a subdural hemorrhage.

His cause of death was determined to be complications from blunt force head trauma received in the crash, according to reports.

Culpepper consented to a blood draw, which found he had the following in his blood at the time of the crash, reports said:

• 12 ng/mL of methamphetamine, a schedule II controlled substance
• 2.1 ng/mL of Delta-9 THC (the active component of marijuana), a schedule I controlled substance
• 62 ng/mL of Delta-9 Carboxy THC, a metabolite of THC/marijuana

Culpepper is being held on a $3,000 cash bond.