BEDFORD — A Bedford man faces multiple criminal charges after nearly colliding with a police officer and admitting to being intoxicated while his passenger was reportedly so frightened she attempted to jump out of the moving truck.
Dakota Pemberton, 29, was taken into custody late Saturday night following a traffic stop on Lincoln Avenue.
At approximately 11:40 p.m. on February 28, 2026, Officer Taylor Daugherty of the Bedford Police Department was traveling south on Lincoln Avenue. According to the probable cause affidavit, a black 2003 Ford F150 driven by Pemberton pulled out from 7th Street directly into the officer’s path.
Officer Daugherty was forced to “quickly activate” his brakes to avoid a collision. As the truck continued south, the officer observed the front passenger door swing open and a female passenger attempt to exit the vehicle while it was still in motion.
The officer initiated a traffic stop at 8th Street and Lincoln Avenue. Before the patrol car was even in park, the female passenger immediately exited the truck. She later told police she was “scared of Dakota driving” and tried to jump out because he refused to stop.
Upon making contact with the driver, Officer Daugherty noted a strong odor of alcohol and marijuana. When asked for his identification, Pemberton initially handed the officer the passenger’s driver’s license by mistake.
According to the affidavit, Pemberton was remarkably blunt about his condition, telling the officer, “I’m drunk, I shouldn’t be driving.” When asked to perform field sobriety tests, Pemberton allegedly remarked, “I’ll fail.”
The results of the standardized field sobriety tests supported his admission.
During a search of the vehicle, officers located a partially burnt cigarette containing a leafy substance that field-tested positive for marijuana. Pemberton admitted to smoking marijuana before heading to a local bar.
Following a consensual blood draw at IU Health Hospital, Pemberton was transported to the Lawrence County Jail. A portable breath test administered at the jail returned a result of 0.160 BrAC, exactly double Indiana’s legal limit of 0.08.
Pemberton was booked into the Lawrence County Jail on March 1, 2026. He faces the following preliminary charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, OWI endangerment, and possession of marijuana.
The vehicle was released to its owner, and the passenger was picked up from the scene.
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.
