Indianapolis man arrested for Saturday DUI incident
An out-of-county man was arrested Saturday morning after a drunk-driving incident in which both a street sign and a mailbox were damaged.
At about 7:25 a.m., Putnam County Dispatch received a report of a vehicle westbound on Veterans Memorial Highway that had disregarded the stop at the intersection with Jackson Street. It was noted that the vehicle had done so at a high rate of speed.
The vehicle struck a street sign and a mailbox belonging 3G Bowl Bar & Grill as it entered and then fled the parking lot. Surveillance video from 3G Bowl showed the vehicle out of control with the street sign being wedged to its front bumper.
Cpl. Brian Helmer of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office reported that he was traveling west on Veterans Memorial Highway when he passed the vehicle, a 2015 Jeep Renegade driven by Isacc Correa, 20, Indianapolis, going east with the wedged street sign and a busted windshield. Helmer turned around and caught up to the vehicle as the street sign fell off.
The vehicle then stopped just east of the turn-off onto Putnamville Street. Helmer reported that as he pulled behind and got out of his patrol vehicle, Correa got out of the Renegade and started walking away. However, Correa complied when told to stop.
Helmer noted that he could smell alcohol while speaking with Correa. Helmer then administered field sobriety tests which Correa failed. Correa later failed a certified chemical breath test registering at .19 ACE, more than twice the legal limit for intoxication.
Correa was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated and failure to return to the scene of a property-damage incident, as well as being a minor in consumption of alcohol. Helmer also issued him six citations for traffic infractions.
The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office stated in a Facebook post about the incident that Correa had nearly struck two other motorists while behind the wheel.
The Renegade was towed by Seniour’s Towing. Helmer estimated damages to be between $10,000 and $25,000.