BEDFORD – A Bedford woman was arrested early Friday morning when a Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department deputy responded to the area of State Road 37 and Old State Road 37 North after a report of an erratic driver.
Officers then were alerted that the vehicle had crashed on Taylor Run Drivel in reference to a vehicle traveling northbound in the southbound lanes.
When an officer arrived they were told the woman had crashed her vehicle and entered into the back seat of another vehicle to leave the scene. The officer stopped that vehicle and the driver exited that vehicle and spoke to the officer.
The female driver of that vehicle, Tessa Kelly, told the officer she was picking up her friend 50-year-old Deann Todd. She requested the officer to take Todd home. Kelly then returned to her vehicle, opened the door, and told Todd multiple times to get out of her vehicle. Todd did not respond. The officer approached the vehicle to de-escalate the situation between the two women.
Kelly began to struggle with Todd to open the rear side door. Todd then stated, “I will pull that gun out that I’ve got”.
The officer then moved to the rear passenger side of the vehicle, to get a visual of Todd and her hands. He then saw Todd manipulating what appeared to be a plastic baggie that contained blue-colored pills.
The officer requested for backup to the scene because Todd had barricaded herself in the back of the vehicle and said she was armed.
The officer then secured the scene for everyone’s safety.
It took about ten minutes for the backup officers to persuade Todd to exit the vehicle and she was detained.
According to police and witnesses, Todd drove erratically from Springville on Springville Judah Road to State Road 37. She then turned north in the southbound lane of State Road 37 and continued to Old State Road 37. She then turned west onto Old State Road 37 in the wrong lane to Taylor Run Addition. She drove through multiple yards at approximately 60 miles per hour before turning into a driveway where she collided with a 2ft above-ground concrete driveway.
While conducting an inventory of Todd’s vehicle police found a bottle of vodka, money, jewelry, and a cell phone.
Police learned Todd was a habitual traffic violator for life. Officers found 49 grams of meth in her handbag and approximately 100 pills.
She was taken to IU Health Hospital for a blood draw.
Todd was arrested on charges of dealing meth, possession of meth, dealing a controlled substance, two counts of possession of a legend drug, and operating a vehicle after forfeiture of her license for life.
Several hours later, Todd’s friend Tessa Kelly was issued a citation for driving while her driver’s license was suspended.
