Saturday, Lindsey Smith, a 35-year-old resident of Springfield, was arrested by Bellefontaine Police after being found driving under the influence with a child in her vehicle. The arrest occurred around 11:07 p.m. on South Main Street, just inside the city limits.
According to police reports, officers were initially dispatched to respond to a vehicle that had struck a mailbox. The Logan County Sheriff’s Office informed Bellefontaine Police that they had no deputies available in the area. The suspect vehicle, described as a silver Honda Accord with significant front-end damage and non-functioning headlights, was reported to be traveling northbound on U.S. 68 and into Bellefontaine.
An officer who was already patrolling the area was able to locate and stop the vehicle. Upon making contact with Smith, officers observed a juvenile in the rear seat of the damaged vehicle and a pack of Mike’s Hard Lemonade on the passenger floorboard.
Smith, admitted to consuming alcohol before driving. Officers noted a strong odor of alcohol, bloodshot and glossy eyes, and difficulty performing standardized field sobriety tests. Smith’s performance on these tests indicated impairment: she struggled with the Walk and Turn test, showing a lack of balance and understanding of the instructions, and exhibited signs of impaired eye coordination during the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus test.
Smith provided a breath sample at the Bellefontaine Police Department, registering a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.185%, well over Ohio’s legal limit of 0.08%. She was issued citations for operating a motor vehicle while under the influence, operating a vehicle with a BAC over 0.17%, and failure to use headlights.
In addition to the DUI charges, Smith faces a count of child endangerment due to the presence of the juvenile in the vehicle under such circumstances. She was booked into the Logan County Jail.
The Logan County Children Services has been notified regarding the incident involving the juvenile passenger.
