BEDFORD— A Bedford man with a prior conviction for operating a vehicle while intoxicated (OWI) was arrested Sunday afternoon after police observed him driving erratically, including repeatedly swerving into the oncoming lane.
Noble W. Ball, 62, of Bedford, faces charges of OWI with a prior conviction, a felony, OWI endangerment, and violation of specialized driving privileges.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Officer J. Landon Jones of the Bedford Police Department, the incident occurred on Sunday, October 5, at approximately 3:50 p.m.
Officer Jones observed Ball’s red Chevrolet Silverado driving south on M Street and failing to use a turn signal while making a left turn onto 6th Street. While following the vehicle, the officer noted the truck crossed the double yellow center line multiple times.
The erratic driving escalated as the truck swerved toward the right side of the roadway, nearly driving into the grass, and then swerved aggressively to the left, driving in the oncoming lane near the intersection of 6th and H Streets. Officer Jones initiated a traffic stop near 6th and G Streets.
Upon contact, Officer Jones immediately detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from Ball’s person and breath, and noted his eyes appeared glassy. Ball initially stated he had only consumed one beer, but later admitted to drinking four “tall boy” Bud Lights and one “pineapple upside down cake” shot (containing vanilla vodka) before leaving a friend’s house around 3:00 p.m. that day.
A check of Ball’s information revealed that he was operating under a conditional license and was unable to produce the required paperwork, resulting in a charge of violating his specialized driving privileges.
Ball agreed to perform standardized field sobriety tests (SFSTs), which he failed.
A preliminary breath test (PBT) administered at the scene yielded a positive result of 0.098% BrAC.
During the vehicle inventory, a cold Bud Light and two empty Bud Light cans were located in the back seat of the truck.
Further investigation confirmed that Ball had a previous OWI conviction in 2021, leading to the felony charge of OWI with a prior conviction. Ball was medically cleared and then transported to the Lawrence County Jail for housing.
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.
