The Mailbag: What happened to the deputy who crashed his cruiser?

Q: I was wondering if the deputy who destroyed the cruiser was investigated for wrong doing, even if it was a deer. I know if it was me I would have been cited for failure to control and ticketed. Was the officer cited and, if so, is there so requirement to partake in a driver's education course? Has the officer returned to duty or is he still off of work? Seems like a long time. — Jane from SanduskyA: I had our police reporter Emil Whitis look into getting an answer for your question. He talked to Capt. Paul Sigsworth at the Erie County Sheriff's department and learned the deputy you're referring to, Keith Kuluris, did not received any disciplinary action. He had been diving west on Mason Road when several deer sprang from a ditch. He swerved to miss them and instead hit a utility pole. To keep the investigation from being biased, the department actually had the Ohio State Highway Patrol look into the crash for them. Troopers found evidence that deer did indeed run in front of the vehicle before the deputy crashed. Because of this, they did not cite Kuluris. Emil talked to troopers about this decision and they said they do not cite drivers for traffic crashes when they can find evidence — like tracks, blood or a carcass — that indicates an animal caused the crash. Of course, if something else is wrong, like the driver failed to wear a seat belt or the car has a tail light out, the troopers could write a citation. Sigsworth said because troopers found no wrongdoing, the department decided it did not need to discipline Kuluris. Kuluris is on medical leave due to an ongoing health issue.The Mailbag is a daily feature on SanduskyRegister.com. Every weekday at noon, we will post one question-and-answer from a resident. To ask a question, send a letter to The Mailbag at 314 W. Market St., or e-mail mailbag@ sanduskyregister.com. Please include your first name and a location in the e-mail, e.g. "John from Decatur Street."