BEDFORD — A Bloomington man faces multiple operating a vehicle while intoxicated (OWI) charges following a late-night traffic stop on State Road 37, according to court documents released by the Bedford Police Department.
Jack P. Schrems, 31, of Bloomington, is being charged with OWI, OWI refusal, and OWI Per Se, pending the final results of a state laboratory blood analysis.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Bedford Police Officer Clayton Blackburn, the incident began at approximately 11:36 p.m. on May 5, 2022. Officer Blackburn was conducting a routine traffic patrol near State Road 37 and 5th Street when he spotted a red Toyota passenger car traveling southbound with an inoperable driver’s side taillight.
The officer caught up with the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop near the intersection of State Road 37 and State Road 158.
Upon making contact with the driver, identified as Schrems, Officer Blackburn reported noticing several immediate signs of potential intoxication, including slurred speech and bloodshot eyes. A faint odor of an alcoholic beverage was also detected coming from inside the vehicle.
When questioned, Schrems denied having consumed any alcohol or medications, telling officers he was a bartender and had just completed a long work shift.
As the investigation progressed, Captain Hamilton arrived on the scene to assist. When Schrems stepped out of the vehicle, officers noted that the smell of alcohol was immediately apparent on his breath and person.
When requested to perform standardized field sobriety tests, Schrems initially claimed he could not do “roadside sobriety” due to a “lazy right eye” and a “sciatic” condition in his right leg, though he offered to speak with officers for as long as they wanted.
Schrems did eventually comply with a horizontal gaze nystagmus eye test. Officer Blackburn noted that the test revealed a lack of smooth pursuit in both eyes, distinct nystagmus (involuntary eye jerking) at maximum deviation in the right eye, and an onset of nystagmus before 45 degrees in both eyes.
Following the eye exam, Schrems reportedly became uncooperative, refusing to perform the walk-and-turn test or submit to a preliminary breath test.
Officer Blackburn read Schrems the Indiana Implied Consent Warning, advising him of the legal consequences of refusing a chemical test. Schrems again refused to comply.
Under Indiana law, any person who operates a motor vehicle implies consent to submit to chemical testing if an officer has probable cause to believe they are driving intoxicated. Refusal results in an automatic suspension of driving privileges.
Schrems was placed under handcuffs and transported to the Bedford Police Department while officers applied for a search warrant to compel a chemical test. Judge Plummer of the Lawrence County Superior Court I reviewed and signed the warrant. Meanwhile, Schrems’ vehicle was inventoried and impounded.
At 12:45 a.m., the search warrant was executed at IU Health Hospital, where an official phlebotomist drew two samples of Schrems’ blood. The samples have been sealed and sent to the Indiana State Police Regional Laboratory in Indianapolis for detailed toxicological analysis.
Following the blood draw, Schrems’ driver’s license was confiscated, and he was released from custody. The case has been forwarded to the Lawrence County Prosecutor’s Office to review for formal charges, and authorities have requested that an arrest warrant be issued. Schrems was detained on Monday, June 15.
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.
