OOLITIC – A Bedford man was arrested on Friday, August 9, at 9:44 p.m. after Indiana State Excise Lt. Travis Thickstun spotted a driver speeding on State Road 37 near Oolitic.
Officer Thickstun said he was patrolling north on State Road 37 near Gillen Post Drive when he observed a 2002 Chevrolet Blazer following a passenger car too closely. Both vehicles were in the left lane. To the right was a school bus.
After the passenger car passed the school bus, it moved to the right lane. The driver of the Blazer remained in the left lane and accelerated to “an extremely high speed.” Lt. Thickstun followed the Blazer in his Dodge Charger and gained on the Blazer, traveling 110 miles per hour. The posted speed limit on State Road 37 is 55 miles per hour.
After stopping the vehicle, Lt. Thickstun requested assistance from Senior Officer
Dylan Irwin.
The driver was 29-year-old Jacob Mathis. While standing at the open window, officers smelled the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from the vehicle as Mathis spoke with them.
Police say Mathis had bloodshot, glossy eyes and slurred speech. He was told he was traveling at an excessive speed, but he insisted he was only traveling at 95 miles per hour.
Mathis admitted to drinking three Miller Lite beers and took his last drink around 9:00 p.m. while on a boat fishing near Williams Dam. He then said he had been on the boat “all day” and “ran out” of beer.
Mathis failed several field sobriety tests. He performed a portable breath test and had a blood-alcohol level of O.153 percent.
Mathis was detained.
While inventorying the vehicle for impound, police found a Rock Island Armory M1811 A1-FS handgun in a black knit hat.
Officers also found a glass pipe with marijuana residue.
Mathis was arrested on charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated with a blood alcohol content of 0.15 or greater, OWI, reckless driving at an unreasonable speed, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was also issued citations for following too closely and speeding.
