BEDFORD — A Northern Indiana man on probation was arrested in the early hours of Friday morning after multiple 911 callers reported his pickup truck traveling the wrong way and nearly forcing other vehicles off State Road 37. When law enforcement successfully stopped the vehicle, they discovered the driver was wearing only his underwear.
Kohlten A. French, 23, of Cromwell, Indiana, was taken into custody on June 12, 2026. He faces an on-site preliminary criminal charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated (OWI), a Class C misdemeanor.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Clifford Pruett, county dispatchers received an emergency call at approximately 2:48 a.m. regarding a white truck traveling northbound in the southbound lanes of State Road 37, just north of the Old State Road 37 intersection.
Because no Lawrence County deputies were immediately in the direct vicinity, nearby Monroe County units were requested to assist. Six minutes later, a second 911 caller reported that the same white truck—now traveling southbound near Patton Hill Road—had nearly run another vehicle off the roadway and was aggressively swerving over the yellow line near the median. The caller noted that the truck had bicycles mounted on the tailgate.
Deputy Pruett located the vehicle as it passed the intersection of State Road 37 and Brock Lane. After turning around to pursue, the deputy observed the truck veer halfway into a turn lane near US Highway 50 West, and then swerve back across the yellow line toward the median. Deputy Pruett initiated a traffic stop, and the truck finally came to a halt in the turn lane near 8997 State Road 37 at approximately 3:02 a.m.
Upon approaching the driver’s side window, Deputy Pruett made contact with French. The deputy immediately noted a strong odor of alcohol coming from French and observed that the driver was wearing nothing but underwear.
When asked if he had been drinking, French initially said no, claiming he was just “exhausted.” When asked why he had no clothes on, French reportedly replied, “Not really.”
The affidavit notes that French’s speech was heavily slurred, and his eyes were glassy and bloodshot. When asked where he was traveling from, French struggled to pronounce “Indiana” before clarifying he was coming from a friend’s house in Bloomington. When asked where he was heading, he simply repeated “Indiana.” After the deputy noted that the state was a broad destination, French stated the Cromwell address listed on his driver’s license.
While looking for his registration, French mistakenly handed the deputy the vehicle’s title. During this interaction, French admitted to police that he had been drinking, stated that he was currently on probation, and noted that he “could not afford to be pulled over.”
When Deputy Pruett asked French exactly how much he had to drink, French replied, “too much.” Asked if it was too much to be driving, French answered, “obviously yes.”
French was instructed to turn off the ignition and hand over his keys. He was then placed in handcuffs and transported to the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department for testing, while assisting deputies remained on scene with his truck.
At the department’s sally port, Deputy Pruett administered standard field sobriety tests. French failed to complete all three examinations, displaying impairment.
Following the physical tests, an initial portable breath test (PBT) indicated a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.143%.
French was subsequently read his Miranda warnings and agreed to a certified chemical breath test using an Intox EC/IR-II instrument. The certified test, completed at 3:51 a.m., officially registered French’s BAC at 0.139 g/210L—well above Indiana’s legal driving limit of 0.08%.
During post-Miranda questioning, French admitted that he had started drinking after dark, consuming four pint-sized, blueberry-flavored bourbon slushies. French explicitly noted that his friend had told him to stay at the house in Bloomington, but he made the choice to attempt to drive home anyway.
French was escorted to the Lawrence County Jail booking counter and released into the custody of jail officers.
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.
