BEDFORD — A 62-year-old Mitchell man is facing multiple criminal charges, including felony operating while intoxicated, after allegedly driving drunk, crashing into a utility trailer, and trespassing onto commercial property.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Lawrence County Police Officer Kenton Carter, officers responded to a suspicious person complaint at D&S Excavating, located in the 3300 block of Old State Road 37 North, on Friday, August 28. Central Dispatch alerted responding deputies that a barefoot male wearing camouflage shorts was looking inside machinery and had climbed inside a skid steer on the property.
Upon arrival, Officer Carter located a white Ford F-150 parked near a utility trailer and found the suspect—later identified as James Allen Williams of Mitchell — attempting to climb into a skid steer next to a red tractor.
Due to the nature of the call, Officer Carter drew his department-issued firearm and issued loud verbal commands for Williams to display his hands and exit the equipment. Williams initially complied but then attempted to climb back inside the machine.
Officer Carter and Officer A. Hogan moved in to pull Williams from the skid steer. According to the affidavit, Williams’ leg was stuck between the equipment’s bucket and step, and he was physically unable to assist officers in extricating himself. Officer Carter pulled Williams out, placed him on the ground, and sat him upright.
Deputies detected a strong odor of alcohol on Williams, who had bloodshot, glassy eyes and struggled to stand without help. Williams admitted to officers that he had driven his truck to the location, though he stated he believed he was at a hotel. He denied attempting to steal the equipment.
During a vehicle inventory prior to the truck being impounded by Tow Time Wrecker Service, officers observed fresh front-end damage to Williams’ Ford F-150 where it had hit a utility trailer on the lot. Deputies also recovered an empty bottle of Captain Morgan Spiced Rum from the front passenger floorboard. The business owner reported that Williams had entered the property without permission around 1:30 p.m. and struck the trailer at approximately 3:20 p.m.
Williams was transported to the Lawrence County Security Center, where he refused to perform standardized field sobriety tests. A preliminary breath test yielded a result of 0.191% BrAC.
Although Williams initially refused a certified chemical test under Indiana Implied Consent, he later withdrew his refusal. A certified breath test administered by Bedford Police Captain Emmons registered a blood alcohol concentration of 0.204%—more than two and a half times Indiana’s legal limit of 0.08%.
Williams was remanded to the custody of the Lawrence County Security Center. He faces preliminary charges of:
- Operating a vehicle while intoxicated with a prior conviction (Level 6 felony)
- Unauthorized entry of a motor vehicle (Class B misdemeanor)
- Public intoxication by alcohol (Class B misdemeanor)
- Operating a vehicle while intoxicated (Class C misdemeanor)
- Criminal mischief (Class C misdemeanor)
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.
