BEDFORD — A 25-year-old Bedford woman was arrested Wednesday evening after law enforcement intercepted her in a fast-food drive-thru following a report of an intoxicated driver.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Bedford Police Officer J. Landon Jones, officers were dispatched around 8:20 p.m. on August 26, after dispatch received a non-emergency call from a male. He requested a locate on a black Honda CRV driven by his wife, 25-year-old Charlotte R. Butler, stating she was heavily intoxicated and heading toward the Hardee’s located at 1510 16th Street.
Officer Jones located the vehicle in the Hardee’s drive-thru line and verified the registration and driver’s identity. When Butler attempted to pull out of the parking lot, Officer Jones initiated a traffic stop using his overhead emergency lights. Butler brought her vehicle to a stop inside the parking lot.
Upon making contact, Officer Jones noted that Butler was visibly upset and crying. According to the affidavit, she exhibited slurred speech, bloodshot and glassy eyes, and a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage. When asked to step out of the vehicle, Butler complied and was observed to be barefoot and unsteady on her feet.
Butler told the officer she was distraught after having to put her cat down earlier in the day and admitted to drinking alcohol continuously since around noon. When asked how much she had consumed, she estimated between 10 and 20 alcoholic beverages.
After initially offering to take standardized field sobriety tests, Butler ultimately refused the physical tests. However, she agreed to a preliminary breath test, which yielded a preliminary result of 0.245% BAC—more than three times Indiana’s legal driving limit of 0.08%.
Butler consented to a certified chemical test under Indiana Implied Consent laws and was transported by officers to IU Health Bedford Hospital, where a registered nurse completed a blood draw at 9:19 p.m.
Following medical clearance, Butler was taken into custody and remanded to the Lawrence County Jail on a preliminary charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated with a BAC of .15% or greater, a Class A misdemeanor. Her vehicle was secured at the scene, and keys were later returned to her husband. The blood samples were submitted to the Indiana State Department of Toxicology for final analysis.
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.
