BEDFORD – A Bedford man was arrested Friday evening on charges of operating a vehicle while Intoxicated with a prior conviction and OWI Per Se over .15, after police responded to a report of an extremely intoxicated driver.
Lincoln W. Allen, 47, a transient of Bedford, was taken into custody on Friday, June 27, 2025.
According to an affidavit for probable cause filed by Bedford Police Officer Sarah Haluda, officers were alerted around 4:30 p.m. to a male, identified as Allen, who had reportedly left the Men’s Warming Shelter “extremely intoxicated” in an older maroon van, heading south on H Street.
Officer Haluda located Allen’s unoccupied van parked “crooked” in the Circle K parking lot at 16th and H Streets. Inside the store, Allen was found at the registers, was “unsteady on his feet,” and struggling to pay for a drink.
When questioned, Allen initially denied knowing why police were called but then admitted he had been drinking. Officer Haluda observed that Allen was unsteady, had “watering and bloodshot” eyes, and smelled of alcohol. Allen told the officer he planned to return to the shelter to sleep, and when asked to perform Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, he stated he would “fail them.”
Despite initially declining a Portable Breath Test (PBT), Allen eventually agreed to take it. His PBT registered .248 BrAC. At the Bedford Police Department, a certified breath test administered by Officer Ratcliff on an Intox ER/IR-II machine registered a .246 g/210 L blood alcohol content. This level is more than three times the legal limit of .08.
During the interaction, Allen admitted to drinking Listerine throughout the day due to its low cost. His speech was slurred, and he was easily distracted.
Further investigation, including video footage from the shelter, revealed that Allen had left the Men’s Warming Shelter parking lot in his van just minutes before being located. An inventory of his van revealed several empty mouthwash and vodka bottles behind the driver’s seat.
A criminal history report indicated that Allen has a prior OWI conviction from 2020 and is currently out on bond for other pending alcohol-related charges in Lawrence County.
Allen was transported to IU Health Bedford Hospital for medical clearance, as per jail protocol, before being taken to the Lawrence County Jail for housing.
A Probable Cause Affidavit outlines the initial findings and allegations that led to an arrest. Criminal charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
