Three motorists, including one from Seymour, face preliminary charges of operating while intoxicated after two separate crashes on Saturday in Jennings County, police report.
Two of the arrests occurred after that began about 5:23 p.m. when Devin Whitaker, 26, of Seymour rolled her vehicle while driving on U.S. 50 in the area of County Road 900W, according to a news release from Chief Deputy David Turner with the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department.
Deputy Doug Brown said when arrived he found Whitaker was uninjured but he had detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage. Further investigation revealed she was nearly twice the legal limit, Turner reported.
Whitaker’s boyfriend, 27-year-old Jerry Hill of North Vernon arrived hoping to take her home, Brown said.
Due to her level of intoxication, Whitaker was taken to the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department for a certified chemical test.
Hill, who was told of the process, decided to drive to the sheriff’s office in hopes Whitaker would be released, Brown said.
After booking Whitaker into the Jennings County Jail on a charge of operating while intoxicated, Brown said he spoke with Hill to advise him she had been arrested.
At that time Brown said he detected the odor of alcohol on Hill, who had just driven to the sheriff’s office. Further investigation revealed Hill also was well above the legal limit of .08%, so he was arrested and booked into jail for operating while intoxicated.
At about 9:20 p.m., dispatchers received a call in reference to a traffic accident in Muscatatuck County Park involving two vehicles.
Brown responded to that crash and through his investigation, determined that one of the drivers, James Durbin, 49, of Whiteland also was driving under the influence of alcohol. After certified testing, Durbin was placed him under arrest for operating while intoxicated and was taken to the jail.
