MITCHELL— A Mitchell man has been arrested and charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated after police responded to a welfare check concerning an erratic driver at a local fast-food restaurant.
Ryan Lee Falloni, 35, was taken into custody on November 2, 2025, after failing multiple field sobriety tests and registering a blood alcohol content nearly twice the legal limit.
According to the probable cause affidavit filed by Mitchell Police Officer Garrett Jacobs, officers were dispatched to McDonald’s at 2918 State Road 37 at approximately 9:09 p.m.. The call originated from a third party concerned about a driver who was “not acting all there and did not seem okay.”
Upon making contact with Ryan Falloni, Officer Jacobs immediately noticed his eyes looked “glassy in appearance” and that he was bleeding from a laceration on his left thumb. Falloni appeared surprised when the officer pointed out the injury, which he vaguely attributed to “a door or something.”
As Falloni exited the vehicle for a closer assessment, Officer Jacobs detected the smell of alcohol emanating from his person. The injury to his thumb was significant enough that fire department personnel were called to the scene to bandage it.
Falloni was initially hesitant to perform the standardized field sobriety tests, but eventually agreed. Before testing, he demonstrated difficulty following instructions. Falloni failed the tests.
After initially struggling to provide an adequate sample for the portable breath test, Falloni finally registered a BAC of .147, well above Indiana’s legal limit of 0.08%. When asked about the result, he claimed he had consumed only “two or three beers.”
Falloni also made conflicting statements regarding his driving, first claiming he drove from his home to get food, then later stating he “hasn’t been driving” and was only “waiting for my fries.”
Falloni agreed to submit to a blood draw at IU Health Bedford under the Implied Consent Law. Following the blood draw, he was transported to the Lawrence County Jail.
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.
