BEDFORD — A Bedford man was taken into custody shortly after midnight on Thursday following a series of suspicious driving maneuvers and a failed sobriety test in a restaurant parking lot.
Nickolas A. Banks, 35, of Bedford, was arrested on February 26th, by the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department. He faces preliminary charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, OWI endangerment and driving while his driver’s license was suspended with a prior conviction.
According to the probable cause affidavit filed by Captain Harrison Fleetwood, the incident began around 12:07 a.m.. Captain Fleetwood was patrolling south on R Street when he observed a silver 2008 Jeep Liberty engaging in what appeared to be “avoidance maneuvers.”
The vehicle reportedly turned through several side streets and an alley before re-emerging on R Street. After the Jeep crossed the center line while turning onto 16th Street, Captain Fleetwood initiated a traffic stop in the Pizza Hut parking lot.
Upon making contact, Captain Fleetwood noted the odor of alcohol on the driver’s breath. Banks reportedly became “visibly frantic,” admitting his license was suspended and that he had consumed approximately three beers earlier in the night.
Despite citing a recently broken ankle, Banks agreed to perform standardized field sobriety tests which he failed.
Following a portable breath test that indicated the presence of alcohol, Banks was read the Indiana Implied Consent Warning. He was transported to the Bedford Police Department, where he provided an insufficient sample for a certified breath test.
He was subsequently taken to IU Health Bedford for a legal blood draw to determine his exact blood-alcohol concentration. Following the medical procedure, Banks was transported to the Lawrence County Jail for booking. His vehicle was released to a family member at the scene.
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.
