LAWRENCE CO. – A Bloomington man was arrested for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated (OWI) on September 20, after a Lawrence County Sheriff’s Deputy located his vehicle following a report of erratic driving.
Deputy Augustus Hogan of the Lawrence County Police Department initiated an investigation after dispatch received a call about a black Hummer driving erratically on Williams Road at Lois Smith Road, heading eastbound toward Bedford.
Deputy Hogan located a vehicle matching the description at 16th Street and SR 37. The Hummer was observed driving with its hazard lights on continuously. Deputy Hogan also noted the vehicle crossing the far left fog line while changing lanes. Due to safety concerns, the Deputy waited for a more suitable location before initiating a traffic stop near Mitchel Road and Dixie Highway.
Upon approaching the vehicle, which contained the male driver, Darin Wimsatt, 38, and a female passenger, Deputy Hogan noticed a strong odor of alcohol, slurred speech, and an unsteady gait from Wimsatt. When asked if he had been drinking, Wimsatt stated “a little bit a while before” the interaction.
Wimsatt agreed to perform field sobriety tests, which he failed. Wimsatt then registered a 0.283 on a portable breathalyzer test (PBT), well above Indiana’s legal limit of 0.08.
Wimsatt was placed under arrest for operating a vehicle while intoxicated and transported to IU Bedford Health Hospital for a blood draw.
The female passenger was deemed too intoxicated to drive the vehicle. A tow truck was called to remove the Hummer, and Wimsatt was transported to the Lawrence County Jail after receiving medical clearance.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This article is based on the information provided in the Probable Cause Affidavit and does not represent a final determination of guilt or innocence.
