BEDFORD – A Bedford woman faces severe legal consequences following her arrest on Wednesday, September 18, for operating a vehicle while intoxicated with three children in the vehicle.
Jonnie Ikerd, 33, has been charged with multiple offenses, including operating a vehicle while intoxicated with a passenger under 18, OWI endangerment, OWI-per se, neglect of a dependent, and OWI refusal.
According to the probable cause affidavit filed by Officer Sarah Haluda of the Bedford Police Department, the incident unfolded around 5:40 p.m. when Officer Haluda observed Ikerd driving a silver Chevrolet passenger van with a nearly obscured license plate. Unable to read the plate clearly, she initiated a traffic stop at 25th and M Streets.
Upon approaching the vehicle, Officer Haluda noticed Ikerd behaving suspiciously and rifling through the passenger compartment. After identifying herself and requesting Ikerd’s driver’s license, the officer found that the license had expired the previous December. Ikerd informed Haluda that the license plate on the van did not belong to that vehicle and admitted she could not produce any documentation for it.
While speaking with Ikerd, Officer Haluda detected a strong odor of alcohol. When asked if she had been drinking, Ikerd initially denied it but later confessed to consuming several shots of vodka earlier in the day before picking up her children from the Boys and Girls Club of Lawrence County.
Subsequent field sobriety tests yielded Ikerd struggled to follow instructions and exhibited signs of impairment. A portable breath test showed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.106, above Indiana’s legal limit. After being informed of the Indiana Implied Consent law, Ikerd refused a chemical test.
During the encounter, it was revealed that Ikerd’s three children—ages undisclosed in the affidavit—were passengers in the van. Despite her initial reluctance, Ikerd was able to secure a sober caregiver for her children after several attempts.
Following the arrest, Ikerd was transported to the Bedford Police Department, where a search warrant for a blood draw was granted. A blood sample was taken and sent for analysis. Additionally, officers discovered a bottle of vodka and a prescription bottle containing suboxone during an inventory of the vehicle.
The Department of Child Services (DCS) was notified of the incident, and a hotline report was filed.
Those facing criminal charges are considered innocent unless convicted through due legal proceedings. Accusations alone do not imply guilt; the judicial system will evaluate the presented evidence to reach a verdict.
