BEDFORD — A woman faces multiple drug and impaired driving charges after a Bedford police officer witnessed her drive off the road and nearly cause a collision Sunday afternoon.
Betsy J. Coulter, 54, of Bedford, was arrested on May 31, 2026, by the Bedford Police Department. She has been charged with Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated (OWI) – Controlled Substance, OWI – Endangerment, and two counts of Possession of a Legend Drug.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Bedford Police Officer J. Landon Jones, the incident began at approximately 3:07 p.m. Officer Jones was patrolling near 5th Street and Bellback Road when he observed a blue 2016 Ford Fusion.
After turning onto Bellback Road, the Fusion went entirely off the right side of the roadway. Both passenger-side tires remained off the pavement for a short period before the driver abruptly corrected course.
As the vehicle approached the intersection of John Williams Boulevard and Becky Skillman Way, the driver allegedly blew through a stop sign without coming to a complete stop. The Fusion then failed to yield to an oncoming vehicle that was already executing a turn, nearly causing an accident. Both vehicles came to a dead stop in the middle of the boulevard before Officer Jones activated his emergency lights. The Fusion pulled over on the north side of Dunham’s Sports at 1018 James Avenue.
Officer Jones made contact with the driver, identified as Coulter. Officer Jones observed that Coulter’s eyes were glassy, her pupils were pinpoint, and her speech was slow and slurred. When asked about her erratic driving, Coulter reportedly stated that she was “a reckless driver” and was running late for work. She had to use the vehicle door to pull herself up as she exited the car.
A routine data check revealed the vehicle’s registration had expired since April 28, 2026.
Coulter gave the officers verbal consent to search her vehicle. Inside her purse, Officer Turner located a small Mentos container holding two separate types of pills:
- 12 round white pills stamped “121 H”, later identified as Ropinirole Hydrochloride (a medication typically used for Parkinson’s disease or restless legs syndrome).
- 3 round yellow pills stamped “ZC 26”, later identified as Meloxicam (an anti-inflammatory legend drug).
Coulter claimed the pills belonged to her boyfriend, though she later admitted to taking a Meloxicam the previous night.
Officer Jones escorted Coulter behind Dunham’s Sports to conduct Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFSTs), which yielded numerous signs of intoxication.
While Coulter provided a completely negative breath sample on a preliminary breath test, an on-scene SOTOXA oral fluid test tested positive for opiates and cannabis.
Following her Miranda warnings, Coulter admitted she had eaten THC gummies and taken a prescribed Gabapentin the night before. She stated she did not know why she tested positive for opiates. A subsequent state INSPECT Rx report confirmed she held active prescriptions for Gabapentin and Temazepam, but not the drugs found in the candy container.
Coulter consented to a chemical blood test to verify the roadside drug screen findings. She was placed in handcuffs and transported to IU Health Bedford, where a phlebotomist drew two vials of whole blood at 4:14 p.m.
The blood samples were secured and submitted to the Indiana State Department of Toxicology for formal laboratory analysis. The unprescribed pills were confiscated as evidence, and Coulter was transported to the Lawrence County Jail for housing.
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.
