BEDFORD – A Bedford man was arrested on Friday, August 1, following a traffic stop that led to multiple charges, including operating a vehicle while intoxicated with dependents present, operating while intoxicated with a prior conviction, and driving while suspended.
According to an affidavit for probable cause filed by Officer Steven Hatton Jr. of the Bedford Police Department, he was on patrol near 1st Street and Lincoln Avenue at approximately 6:37 p.m. when he observed a silver Chrysler Town and Country traveling at 36 miles per hour in a 30 MPH zone. A traffic stop was initiated at 4th Street and Lincoln Avenue in the Dairyland gas station parking lot.
Upon approaching the vehicle, Officer Hatton identified the driver as 32-year-old Jonah E. Kirkman of Bedford. During the stop, Kirkman was found to have a suspended driver’s license with a prior suspension. Officer Hatton noted Kirkman had glassy eyes and detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from the vehicle, which also contained two children.
Kirkman consented to Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFSTs), during which he displayed signs of impairment. After testing, Kirkman admitted to consuming alcohol, and a Preliminary Breath Test (PBT) yielded a positive result of 0.256 percent.
Kirkman consented to a chemical test at the Bedford Police Department, where a certified breath test administered at 7:21 p.m. showed a blood alcohol content of .258 g/210 L of breath. During the incident, Kirkman also advised officers that there was an open vodka bottle in the center console, which was subsequently located and photographed.
Due to his high alcohol level, Kirkman was transported to IU Health Bedford for jail clearance before being taken to the Lawrence County Jail for housing.
Kirkman is facing preliminary charges of driving while his driver’s license was suspended with a prior conviction, OWI with a blood alcohol level above 0.15, OWI with a prior conviction, two counts of OWI endangerment, and two counts of neglect of a dependent.
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.
