BEDFORD – A local man was arrested late Friday night after a high-speed encounter on State Road 37 led to a physical altercation with Lawrence County deputies and a court-ordered blood draw.
Danny J. Lankford, 52, of Bedford, is facing multiple charges, including operating while intoxicated (OWI) and interfering with public safety, following the incident on March 27.
At approximately 10:25 p.m., Deputy C. Pruett was stationed in a median on State Road 37 when he observed an orange Chevy Camaro traveling southbound at a high rate of speed. Deputy Pruett pursued the vehicle, finally catching up at the intersection of 5th Street.
According to the probable cause affidavit, when the traffic light turned green, the Camaro remained stationary for several moments before driving away. As the vehicle turned onto 5th Street, it reportedly nearly ran off the road and crossed the double yellow center line multiple times. Despite the deputy activating emergency lights, the driver allegedly continued for nearly half a mile before coming to a stop.
Upon reaching the vehicle, Deputy Pruett noted that Lankford struggled to operate his window and exhibited slurred speech. The deputy reported a strong odor of alcohol and observed an open container on the passenger floorboard.
The situation escalated when Lankford exited the vehicle. Deputies reported that Lankford had to pull himself from the car and staggered so severely that two deputies had to physically guide him to the patrol vehicle.
Lankford allegedly refused to cooperate with a Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) sobriety test.
When deputies attempted to handcuff him, Lankford reportedly resisted, leading to a “controlled take down” by Deputy Carter.
Due to Lankford’s alleged refusal to cooperate with initial testing, deputies obtained a search warrant for a blood draw from an on-call judge. At IU Health Bedford, Lankford’s behavior reportedly remained “belligerent.”
According to court documents, Lankford had to be handcuffed to the hospital bedrails so staff could safely draw blood. While awaiting discharge, Lankford allegedly threw a cup of water at a deputy during an argument.
Lankford was eventually transported to the Lawrence County Jail and booked on the following preliminary charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and interfering with public safety
During the encounter, Lankford allegedly admitted to deputies that “he knew he should not be drinking and driving.”
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.
