MITCHELL — A Paoli man faces multiple charges, including operating while intoxicated with a prior conviction, after police intercepted an alleged drunk driver who struck two curbs and drove erratically Tuesday evening.
Michael J. Scrogham, 46, was arrested on Aug. 5 following a traffic stop in a fast-food restaurant parking lot.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Mitchell Police Officer Phillip Emery, along with Officers J. Kuhlman, J. McMillen, and G. Jacobs, were dispatched around 8:30 p.m. to reports of a brown Buick SUV traveling northbound in the southbound lane on State Road 37 near Dillon Road.
Officer Emery spotted the vehicle near the intersection of State Road 37 and State Road 60, observing it strike a curb while turning closely around other vehicles. The SUV then turned into a McDonald’s parking lot, where it hit a second curb in a parking space before coming to a stop.
Upon approaching the vehicle, officers noted an open alcoholic beverage near the center console. Police reported that Scrogham exhibited slurred speech, poor balance, and an odor of alcohol. Authorities said Scrogham became belligerent, shouted profanities, and refused both field sobriety testing and chemical tests.
Store surveillance footage confirmed the vehicle struck the curb at the intersection, and matching tire marks were found on the SUV.
Officers obtained a search warrant for a blood draw, which was executed at IU Health Bedford, where police said Scrogham continued to be aggressive and loud toward hospital staff and officers.
A background check revealed Scrogham’s driver’s license was suspended and that he had a previous conviction for operating while intoxicated from earlier in the year.
Scrogham was booked into the Lawrence County Jail on charges of operating while intoxicated (Level 6 felony), operating while intoxicated (Class A and C misdemeanors), disorderly conduct, driving while suspended, and open container violation.
Those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
