BEDFORD – A Mitchell woman was arrested Monday night after a Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department deputy who was at the intersection of US 50 West and State Road 37 heard Bedford Police was looking for a blue and gray SUV that had left the scene of an accident.
The deputy saw the vehicle accelerate past the Speedway station.
The deputy followed the vehicle south on State Road 37 and noticed the driver was weaving back and forth on the roadway crossing the center line. The deputy stopped the vehicle at State Road 37 near Rariden Hill.
The deputy reported the driver 23-year-old Ashley Blackwell had the odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from her breath and person. Blackwell was unsteady and had slurred speech and glassy eyes.
Blackwell told police she had drank a wine cooler a few hours ago.
There was a 4-year-old and 2-year-old in the car. One was without a car seat.
Blackwell’s vehicle had damage to the driver’s mirror and driver’s door glass.
Blackwell failed field sobriety tests.
According to police, Blackwell allegedly was traveling south on State Road 37 in the right lane when she crossed the center line and struck a vehicle in the left lane damaging the other driver’s side mirror. The other driver attempted to get Blackwell to stop by honking their horn but she fled the scene. Blackwell told police she did not strike another vehicle.
Blackwell was detained and transported to IU Health Bedford Hospital for a blood draw. After the blood draw, she was transported to the Lawrence County Jail on charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, OWI endangerment, two counts of neglect of a dependant, and leaving the scene of an accident.
The children in the vehicle were picked up by a family member. A cat that was in the vehicle was picked up by an animal control officer and the vehicle was towed by Stone City Collision.
