BEDFORD — A Spencer woman was arrested following a single-vehicle crash near Avoca Eureka Road after she allegedly admitted to texting while driving. She failed sobriety tests, later testing positive for methamphetamine and amphetamine.
Megan F. Turner, 37, of Spencer, was booked into the Lawrence County Jail and charged with two felony offenses: operating a vehicle while intoxicated, endangerment, and operating a vehicle with a controlled substance in the body.
The details of the arrest are outlined in a Probable Cause Affidavit filed by Lawrence County Police Department Captain Harrison Fleetwood.
At approximately 9:40 p.m. on November 17, Lawrence County Dispatch received a 911 call reporting an accident in the 2000 block of Avoca Eureka Road. The caller advised that the silver Hummer involved was off the north side of the road, its front end heavily damaged after striking a telephone pole. The caller also noted the female driver appeared to be impaired.
Captain Fleetwood arrived to find Megan Turner still seated in the driver’s seat. When asked what happened, Turner stated she was traveling westbound when she reached for her phone to text her son. She explained that she took her eyes off the road and subsequently ran off the road, hitting the pole head-on.
While speaking with Turner, Captain Fleetwood observed slurred speech, bloodshot eyes, and poor balance. After denying drinking alcohol and being asked for her documents, Turner’s poor balance caused her to slide from the driver’s seat and fall to the ground while attempting to stand. She was instructed to remain seated until paramedics arrived for evaluation.
Due to her unsteadiness, Captain Fleetwood attempted to administer a horizontal gaze nystagmus test while she was seated. However, the test could not be completed as Turner repeatedly stopped following the stimulus, moved her head, or appeared to nod off. A portable breath test administered at the scene indicated no blood-alcohol content.
When asked if she had taken any illegal drugs or medications, Turner stated that she had taken Suboxone earlier that afternoon. When asked about the time she took it, she appeared confused about whether it was morning or night.
After paramedics assessed her, Turner submitted to a chemical test following the Indiana Implied Consent advisement. She was transported to the Bedford Police Department, where Sgt. Whitney Daugherty conducted a SoToxa oral fluid test.
During testing, Turner exhibited confused behavior, including attempting to sit on the floor rather than the designated chair because she believed she was in a “pink chair.”
The SoToxa oral fluid test, conducted minutes later, yielded positive results for both methamphetamine and amphetamine.
Following the SoToxa test, Turner was transported to IU Health Bedford for a blood draw. Those results are pending. Once medically cleared, she was transported to jail.
During the booking process, officers discovered a Springfield XD40 pistol in Turner’s purse. The gun was seized and packaged as evidence.
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.
