BEDFORD — A Tunnelton woman is facing multiple charges, including operating a vehicle while intoxicated and resisting law enforcement, after allegedly nearly causing a multi-car collision and backing her SUV toward a police cruiser on State Road 37.
Michele Spotts, 57, was arrested following the late-night incident. She faces preliminary charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated (OWI), OWI endangerment, resisting law enforcement by fleeing, and disorderly conduct.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Bedford Police Officer Sarah Haluda, the incident began when local officers received a “Be On the Lookout” (BOL) alert for an erratic driver in a Buick SUV traveling north on State Road 37 from the Dixie Highway area.
Officer Haluda was handling an unrelated call at the intersection of State Road 37 and John Williams Boulevard when she witnessed the Buick SUV abruptly attempt to merge into the left lane. The maneuver nearly caused an accident, forcing the driver behind the Buick to slam on their brakes so hard that their tires audibly squealed.
Officer Haluda immediately followed the SUV and activated her emergency lights. The driver, later identified as Spotts, shifted into the right lane but otherwise ignored the marked police vehicle. Even after Officer Haluda activated her siren, Spotts refused to pull over.
When Spotts reached a red light at the intersection of State Road 37 and 5th Street, she came to a stop but did not pull off the roadway. Instead, she unexpectedly shifted her SUV into reverse, forcing Officer Haluda to quickly back up her patrol car to avoid a collision. When the traffic light turned green, Spotts drove through the intersection and continued north for another mile at roughly 45 mph before finally pulling over against a guardrail.
When officers ordered Spotts to exit the vehicle, she refused to comply. Officers approached the driver’s side, removed her from the SUV, and immediately noted extreme signs of intoxication. Spotts was so unsteady on her feet that officers had to hold her up against her vehicle to keep her from falling.
Inside the SUV, police detected a powerful odor of alcohol and recovered an open tumbler cup containing ice and liquid. A roadside preliminary test on the tumbler’s contents came back positive for alcohol.
While being placed in handcuffs, Spotts admitted to drinking. Due to her severe level of physical impairment, officers determined it was unsafe to administer Standardized Field Sobriety Tests. After being read her Miranda rights and the Indiana Implied Consent law, Spotts agreed to a chemical test. She was unable to specify what or how much she had consumed, but openly acknowledged that it was a substantial amount and that she was “drunk.”
Before being transported from the scene, Spotts provided a preliminary breath sample that registered a .227% blood alcohol content (BrAC), nearly three times Indiana’s legal driving limit of 0.08%.
Officer Haluda transported Spotts to IU Health Bedford Hospital for a blood draw. During the process, Spotts reportedly became highly emotional, repetitive, and disruptive. Hospital staff and officers had to repeatedly instruct her to lower her voice after she began shouting vulgarities in the crowded waiting room and treatment areas.
A registered nurse successfully drew two vials of whole blood, which were packaged and sent to the Indiana Department of Toxicology for formal analysis.
Following medical clearance, Spotts was transported to the Lawrence County Jail for housing. An inventory search of her SUV revealed an additional empty alcohol bottle alongside the previously recovered tumbler. The vehicle was towed and impounded by Stone City Collision.
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.
