BEDFORD – A Bedford man was arrested early Friday morning after a Bedford Police Department officer reported observing him driving erratically and later testing positive for methamphetamine and amphetamine.
According to a Bedford Police Department probable cause affidavit, Officer Sarah Haluda was patrolling near 28th Street and Washington Avenue at approximately 2:00 a.m. on August 21 when she observed a dark-colored GMC pickup traveling north on Washington Avenue at a low rate of speed.
The vehicle was traveling approximately 20 mph in a posted 30 mph zone before crossing the center line with both driver-side tires as an oncoming vehicle approached. The driver eventually returned to his lane and continued to the intersection of 19th Street and Washington Avenue.
The driver, later identified as Michael N. Jones, 48, turned onto 19th Street and continued at approximately 10 mph before stopping at the intersection of 19th Street and N Street.
According to the affidavit, Jones then turned onto N Street, jumped the curb, and drove through a yard with both passenger-side tires before continuing onto N Street.
Haluda activated her emergency lights as Jones turned onto 20th Street, initiating a traffic stop.
When Haluda approached the driver’s side of the vehicle, Jones began explaining his driving behavior before she asked him about it. He reportedly said he was attempting to return to the Rosemount Motel and had recently picked up the truck in Springville for his boss.
Jones denied using any substances.
After checking Jones and the vehicle through law enforcement databases, Haluda determined the vehicle was not registered to the person Jones had identified as his boss.
Jones was asked to step out of the vehicle and again explained that he had been called to pick up the truck for his boss. When asked about the route he had taken, Jones reportedly said the vehicle had a broken brake line.
Haluda questioned how Jones had been able to stop the vehicle multiple times if it had a brake-line problem.
Jones agreed to participate in standardized field sobriety testing, which he failed.
Jones initially continued to deny drug use but eventually admitted that he had recently smoked marijuana.
Haluda then administered a SoToxa oral-fluid test after explaining the test to Jones. The test reportedly returned positive results for methamphetamine and amphetamine.
After being advised of his Miranda rights and Indiana’s implied consent law, Jones reportedly admitted that he had used methamphetamine earlier while at a job site in Kentucky.
Jones was transported to IU Health Bedford Hospital, where two vials of blood were drawn at approximately 3:45 a.m. The blood was packaged and sent to the Indiana Department of Toxicology for testing.
Jones was then transported to the Lawrence County Jail on charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and OWI endangerment.
The GMC pickup was inventoried and towed by Stone City Collision.
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.
