BEDFORD – A Bedford Middle School teacher and coach has been arrested after he was caught driving while intoxicated.
Police arrested 59-year-old Edward Cobb, of Bedford, on charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, OWI per se, and OWI endangerment.
According to Officer Brent Thompkins, on Monday, February 25th, at 10:45 p.m. he was on patrol at 5th and I Streets when he noticed a red SUV traveling east on 5th Street. The driver turned out onto I Street from 5th Street, which is a one-way street, and almost collided head-on with the police car.
Officer Thompkins had to apply his brakes heavily to avoid a collision. The driver of the SUV stopped in front of the police vehicle and began honking his horn multiple times.
The officer activated his emergency lights. The vehicle then pulled into the parking lot of S&S Auto at 502 I Street.
The driver was Cobb. He told the officer he didn’t know he was on a one-way street and said he was lost.
Officer Thompkins said Cobb smelled of alcohol and was unsteady on his feet. When asked if he had been drinking, he said he had a couple.
Cobb failed several field sobriety tests. He submitted to a preliminary breath test and had a blood-alcohol content of O.204.
He was transported to IU Health Bedford Hospital for a blood draw, and those results are pending. He was then transported to the Lawrence County Jail. Cobb’s vehicle was then towed by Jackson Wrecker Service.
