BEDFORD — A Bedford woman has been arrested for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated after a single-vehicle accident in the early hours of July 13, 2024.
According to the Lawrence County Police Department, officers responded to a 911 hang-up call at 1865 Leatherwood Road at 12:27 a.m. Upon arrival, they discovered a white Ford Escape overturned on its passenger side. The driver, 48-year-old Tabatha Anderson, was found inside the vehicle but was not injured.
Emergency responders, including Shawswick Fire and Shawswick EMS, assisted in freeing Anderson from the vehicle. Although she expressed a desire to exit, medical personnel noted her vital signs were elevated and advised her to go to the hospital, which she declined.
Officer Christian James, who was on the scene, reported that Anderson stated she had swerved to avoid a deer while driving home from her job at Pub 15. During questioning, Anderson admitted to consuming “three or four beers” before the accident and acknowledged having an open container of alcohol in the passenger seat.
Notably, Anderson exhibited signs of intoxication, including slurred speech and unsteadiness on her feet. Due to the circumstances of the accident and her medical condition, standard field sobriety tests were not conducted. However, she consented to a blood draw, which took place at IU Health Bedford at 1:42 a.m.
Anderson was then released to her sister.
The toxicology report, received on August 20, indicated that Anderson’s blood alcohol concentration was above the legal limit. As a result, a warrant was requested for her arrest on charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and OWI endangerment.
All individuals arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Charges are accusations, and the legal process will determine the outcome based on the evidence presented
