On July 9, deputies from the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department were dispatched to conduct a welfare check in the vicinity of N. Chisholm Creek Road, following reports of a vehicle that had become stuck in a creek. Upon their arrival, officers discovered a silver Toyota trapped in the water, with a male driver still inside the vehicle.
As the deputies approached, the driver exited the car and explained that he had made a wrong turn while driving at night, which inadvertently led him into the creek. He mentioned that he was attempting to reach a friend’s residence located on Idaho Road but had clearly veered off course. When the deputies requested identification, the man rummaged through both his vehicle and a bag before finally producing a California ID card.
Deputies quickly noted a strong smell of alcohol emanating from the driver, who confessed to consuming wine earlier in the evening. His pupils were dilated, and he seemed disoriented, struggling to comprehend how he had ended up in such a predicament. Given these signs of intoxication, the deputies proceeded to arrest him on charges of public intoxication.
Further investigation revealed that the man was also operating the vehicle with a suspended license. He was subsequently taken to the Lawrence County Jail, where he was booked without any complications on charges of public intoxication and driving with a suspended license. Meanwhile, the vehicle was extracted from the creek and impounded for safekeeping.