BEDFORD— A Bedford man was arrested for operating while intoxicated (OWI) after officers responded to reports of an impaired driver leaving the Men’s Warming Shelter on February 28, 2025.
According to the Bedford Police Department, officers were dispatched to 1414 H Street around 6:00 p.m. after a report that Robert Bancroft had driven away while heavily intoxicated. Driving a maroon Chevrolet pickup truck, Bancroft was last seen heading westbound on 14th Street. Officers attempted to locate the vehicle but were initially unsuccessful.
At approximately 6:45 p.m., officers were called to 1305 K Street, where Bancroft was reportedly passed out in his truck in the back parking lot. Upon arrival, officers found Bancroft unconscious in the driver’s seat. After repeated attempts to wake him, he eventually responded but was reluctant to exit the vehicle. When he did, he struggled to maintain his balance and had to steady himself against the truck.
Bancroft admitted to drinking but claimed he had pulled over to sleep. Officers contacted the shelter staff member that called, who stated that Bancroft had been intoxicated at the shelter, stumbling and falling in the breezeway before attempting to enter the building. Shelter staff had asked Bancroft to remain in his vehicle until he sobered up, but he instead drove away. He then confirmed that he personally witnessed Bancroft operating the vehicle.
When asked to perform Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, Bancroft declined, stating, “we could skip it” because he had already admitted to being intoxicated. He initially refused but later consented to a chemical test after officers explained Indiana’s Implied Consent law. A preliminary breath test showed a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .184. Bancroft was taken into custody and transported to the Bedford Police Department, where a certified breath test at 7:28 p.m. registered a BAC of .191.
During questioning, Bancroft admitted multiple times to driving from the shelter but later attempted to change his story, claiming that a friend had driven him to the parking lot. However, he refused to provide any details about the alleged driver. Officers later obtained security footage from the Men’s Warming Shelter, which showed Bancroft stumbling, falling, and then driving away alone at approximately 5:57 p.m.
Bancroft was transported to the Lawrence County Jail and charged with Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) and OWI per se. His vehicle remained properly parked at 1305 K Street, with the keys left in the custody of shelter staff.
Those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
