MITCHELL– A Mitchell woman, Twila K. Conley, 55, was arrested early Friday morning, May 16, on charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated with a prior conviction, a Level 6 Felony, and misdemeanor OWI, after driving her vehicle off an embankment.
According to a Probable Cause Affidavit filed by Mitchell Police Officer Garrett Jacobs, he was dispatched to the intersection of State Road 60 East and South Meridian Road at approximately 1:10 a.m. in response to a reported accident.
Upon arrival at approximately 1:12 a.m., Officer Jacobs spoke to Conley, who had driven her car off the west side of Meridian Road. Conley reportedly told the officer, “My GPS told me to turn here; it was obviously the wrong place.”
During the initial interaction, Conley allegedly stated she hadn’t been drinking. However, Officer Jacobs proceeded with Standardized Field Sobriety Tests. According to the affidavit, Conley displayed multiple indicators of impairment during the tests.
A Preliminary Breath Test (PBT) administered at the scene registered a 0.00 BAC, leading Officer Jacobs to believe Conley might be under the influence of a controlled substance.
Further investigation revealed that Conley had a prior conviction for operating under the influence of a controlled substance. When questioned about using anything other than alcohol that night and her previous OWI conviction, Conley initially denied both. However, after being informed of her record, she allegedly stated she had just gotten off probation for that prior offense and wouldn’t drive if she had used anything.
Conley refused to submit to a blood draw, stating, “No. I will not. I refuse that,” and “That’s what got me in trouble last time.” After being read the OWI Implied Consent Warning, she continued to refuse, claiming she was “sober.”
Judge Cline signed a search warrant for a blood draw. Conley was then arrested and transported to IU Health Bedford for the blood draw. After the blood draw was completed, Conley was transported to the Lawrence County Jail.
Upon arrival at the jail, Conley claimed to have injured her hip while exiting the patrol vehicle and listed a lengthy medical history. Due to this, jail staff requested medical clearance for Conley, requiring EMS transport back to IU Health Bedford with Officer Jacobs accompanying her.
After being medically cleared at the hospital, Mitchell Police Chief Troy Lobosky transported Conley back to the Lawrence County Jail.
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.
