BEDFORD – A Saturday morning trip to Taco Bell ended in a jail cell for a Bedford man after he allegedly rear-ended a fellow customer twice in the drive-thru and then attempted to flee the scene while intoxicated.
Jamie Baker, 35, was arrested in the early hours of March 21, 2026, following a short pursuit by the victim and a subsequent traffic stop by Bedford Police.
The incident began at approximately 12:57 a.m. at the Bedford Taco Bell. According to a probable cause affidavit, a customer was waiting to order food when he felt a vehicle collide with the rear of his car. The driver told police the suspect vehicle reversed and then struck him a second time, “much harder than the first.”
When the male driver exited his car to confront the driver, he noted the man’s eyes were “red and bloodshot.” The suspect vehicle then reversed off the car and fled the parking lot. The male driver contacted dispatch and followed the white Chevrolet Malibu until officers could intercept it.
Officer Taylor Daugherty located the vehicle at the intersection of 16th and O Streets. Upon making contact with the driver, identified as Jamie Baker, Officer Daugherty noted a strong odor of alcohol. In a moment of apparent confusion, Baker initially handed the officer his passenger’s driver’s license instead of his own.
Baker reportedly admitted to drinking earlier that night at “Shorty’s.” During standardized field sobriety tests, Baker showed multiple signs of impairment. A portable breath test at the scene yielded a result of 0.188% BAC, more than double Indiana’s legal limit of 0.08%.
The situation turned confrontational once Baker was placed in handcuffs. According to the report, Baker refused to enter the patrol vehicle, shouting at officers and demanding that his handcuffs be moved to the front of his body. Officers Daugherty and Bell were eventually forced to physically maneuver Baker into the car as he continued to resist their commands.
At the Bedford Police Department, a certified chemical breath test recorded a result of 0.175% BrAC.
Baker was transported to the Lawrence County Jail and faces the following preliminary charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, OWI endangerment, resisting arrest, and leaving the scene of an accident.
The two passengers in Baker’s vehicle were released to a family member, and the vehicle was towed from 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.
