BEDFORD – On Saturday, August 10, at 3:22 p.m., Bedford Police Department Officer Landon Jones was requested to respond to Mitchell and SandPit Roads following a report of a male driving in a dark-colored Honda Accord swerving all over the road. The caller was able to get the license plate.
While en route, Officer Jones spotted the vehicle traveling north on Mitchell Road from 28th Street. He turned around and followed the vehicle.
Officer Jones observed the driver fail to use a turn signal to turn west onto 25th Street. The driver again failed to use a turn signal when turning North onto P Street. Officer Jones continued to follow the driver and observed the driver abruptly swerve to the right side of the road three separate times on P Street from 25th Street to 23rd Street.
Officer Jones initiated a traffic stop at 22nd and P Streets. As he approached the vehicle, the driver, identified as John Molinaro of Jasper, abruptly swung open the driver’s door and attempted to exit the vehicle.
Molinaro was told to get back into the vehicle, and he cooperated. When the officer approached Molinaro, he could smell the odor of alcohol. Molinaro’s speech was slurred, and his eyes were glassy. When asked to step out of the vehicle, Molinaro stumbled and nearly fell.
Molinaro admitted he had drank a 16-ounce IPA beer while he was driving to his girlfriend’s house on 22nd Street.
Molinaro failed several field sobriety tests. He performed a breath test and had a blood-alcohol level of 0.118 percent. Police found two empty 12-ounce beer cans in the center console.
Molinaro was detained and transported to IU Health Bedford Hospital and then to jail on charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, OWI with a prior conviction, and OWI endangerment.
