BEDFORD — A Springville woman was arrested early Sunday morning, October 25, 2026, after police observed her vehicle strike a curb, followed by field sobriety tests and the discovery of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, according to court documents.
Amanda Thompson, 35, of Springville, faces preliminary charges of operating while intoxicated (OWI), OWI with a controlled substance, OWI endangerment, possession of marijuana, and possession of paraphernalia.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Sgt. Nick Crulo of the Bedford Police Department, the incident began at approximately 4:20 a.m. on Oct. 25. Sgt. Crulo was traveling north on Lincoln Avenue between 7th Street and 6 1/2 Street when he observed a dark-colored Ford SUV drive onto and off the west-side curb before turning abruptly onto 7th Street.
The vehicle then turned south into an alley connecting 7th Street and John Williams Boulevard, parked, and turned off its lights. After observing the lights cycle on and off, Sgt. Crulo approached the vehicle and made contact with Thompson as the driver, alongside a female front passenger and a male rear passenger.
While speaking with the occupants, the officer reported smelling marijuana emitting from the vehicle. When asked about it, Thompson handed over a glass smoking device from the center console. When questioned about hitting the curb, Thompson reportedly told the officer that she “always hits curbs.”
Sgt. Crulo asked Thompson to step out of the vehicle to speak near his patrol car. Officers noted that Thompson had poor balance, glassy eyes, slurred speech, and an odor of alcohol on her breath; she admitted to drinking a small amount earlier in the evening.
Officer Sarah Haluda administered standardized field sobriety tests (SFSTs). According to the report, Thompson exhibited multiple clues of impairment during the horizontal gaze nystagmus and walk-and-turn evaluations, and was unable to complete or follow instructions for the one-leg stand test. A preliminary breath test (PBT) yielded a result of 0.08 BrAC.
Vehicle Search and Hidden Vape Discovery
While SFSTs were being conducted, Major Emmons and Sgt. Crulo performed a probable cause search of the vehicle. Officers located:
- A tinted pill bottle containing marijuana (confirmed via field test)
- Multiple multi-colored glass smoking and cylindrical devices containing plant material
- A black and red box containing plant material
- A “FUZION” digital scale with residue
- Thompson’s prescription medications
When questioned, neither passenger claimed ownership of the marijuana, while Thompson stated it was “community” marijuana given to them by someone.
As officers conferred after questioning, Major Emmons observed Thompson shove an item into her pants. A subsequent search by Officer Haluda revealed a hidden marijuana vape pen, which Thompson admitted to smoking earlier in the evening.
Thompson consented to a chemical test under Indiana’s Implied Consent Law. She was transported to IU Health Bedford, where a blood draw was performed by a registered nurse at 5:43 a.m.
Following the hospital visit, Thompson was transported and booked into the Lawrence County Jail. Her vehicle was released to the passengers, and all seized evidence was processed and placed into the Bedford Police Department evidence locker.
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.
