BEDFORD –A Bedford man was arrested on alcohol charges after a Bedford Police officer stopped his vehicle for only one tail light working.
On Friday, March 14, Andrew T. Bridges, 39, was arrested on charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and OWI with a blood-alcohol content of 0.14 or more.
At approximately 8:40 p.m., Officer J. Landon Jones of the Bedford Police Department was on patrol in 7th and J Streets. He observed a Kia Forte with only one working tail light and an inoperative license plate light traveling east in front of him. Officer Jones initiated a traffic stop at the intersection of 4th and I Street.s
During the traffic stop, Officer Jones contacted the driver, Bridges, and observed a bottle of whiskey and an open beer can in the passenger seat. Bridges admitted to consuming a few beers at his house earlier.
Officer Jones observed Bridges’s red, glassy eyes and detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath. He requested Bridges exit the vehicle and perform Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, but he performed poorly on the tests.
Bridges submitted to a Preliminary Breath Test, which yielded a positive result for alcohol at 0.177%. Bridges was detained and transported to the Bedford Police Department.
At the Bedford Police Department, Officer Ratcliff, a certified operator, utilized an Intox EC/IR-II to conduct an accredited breath test. Bridges provided a certified sample at 0.191 g/210L of breath at 9:25 p.m.
Bridges was transported to the Lawrence County Jail.
Those facing criminal charges are considered innocent unless convicted through due legal proceedings. Accusations alone do not imply guilt; the judicial system will evaluate the presented evidence to reach a verdict.
